


To Make Them Proud (MTP!stuck)

by SJD_Caved_to_Fandom



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternia, Canon-Typical Violence, Cussing, Multi, Typing Quirks as speech, lord help me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2020-09-29 12:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 53,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJD_Caved_to_Fandom/pseuds/SJD_Caved_to_Fandom
Summary: The twelve Alpha trolls wake up in the distant past of Alternia under a split lime and red colored smaller moon. How did they get there and can they survive until the time when the Beta trolls grace the planet with their presence once again?





	1. Awake and Alive

The night sky came into view in a blurry haze, sounds muffled by the slow rolling ocean waves that cradled a lone sea dweller as she came to her senses.

“glubbin goggles” Meenah Peixes grumbled, removing the fogged lenses, allowing her to see her surroundings.

Her eyes, grey with small hints of her fuchsia blood color creeping into her irises, stared at the twin moons of Alternia as they hung full overhead. The question hung on her mind, how could they tell if their plan had worked or not?

“WAIT” With a splash, she sat forward, breaking her float and staring more intensely at the smaller of the moons, her blood pusher thrumming.

It was different. It was not the bright lime green of Alternia as the Beta Trolls had known it. It was half lime and half bright, Vantas red.

A squeal passed her grinning fangs as she fell back into the ocean: real and solid and ALIVE. Their plan had worked!

She surfaced after a few ecstatic flips underwater. “OI you nerds seein this”

Meenah scanned the waves around her, silent and empty, and her stomach dropped. No one was in sight, not even Cronus.

“shit” She fixed her goggles and set out towards the shoreline to her north, diving and rising as she zipped through the water, checking for any signs of the eleven other trolls who were meant to be nearby.

“no no no shits the WORST part” she muttered as a disturbance in the water caught her attention and made her draw her trident.

In seconds, she was surrounded by a pack of ten trolls. Scanning their features and using her lessons in blood hierarchy identification, she quickly surmised there were two sea dwellers (who hardly missed the cut to be clowns), five river trolls (whose blood would lie somewhere between a Pyrope and a Serket), and three unfortunate bog dwellers (low blooded finned trolls often called muck breathers).

“Well, who do we have here?” the highest ranked of the bunch said, his voice skating roughly through the water. “I’ve never seen you around these parts before.”

“and what a it” Meenah barked. “i aint known for playin with trash like you anyhow”

She held herself in a straight but relaxed pose as she looked down her nose at their leader. Her 2x3dent rested in both hands but her grip was slack.

The other troll’s eyes began to grow darker as his companions hollered and gasped at her audacity. The moment passed and he grinned wickedly.

“Seems to me you don’t play well with anyone… No friends, no recognition… Blood superior or no, you won’t be missed more than the cost of your jewelry!”

Meenah gripped her trident and jammed it backwards, straight into the chest of the impatient river dweller who had jetted up behind her, prepared to strike. With his dying gurgle, he released a pale blue burst into the waves. Two more lunged forward, Meenah blocking their strikes by bowling their crewmate’s corpse into their path before diving away from the ring of predators and swimming away.

_shit shit S)(IT gotta find the others fore they get theyshellves krilled _Meenah turned and sank her trident into the shoulder of one of the muck breathers, piercing the base of his neck and sealing his fate in a puff of sunny orange. _little shouty gonna flip if i cant keep it together_

A sandbar rose up in the distance as she dodged and hugged the shore. Nearing the surface, she saw brilliant white flashes erupting from another hostile crowd. Taking her chances, Meenah dove down and increased her speed, slinging herself up from the ocean like a torpedo, piercing one of the mid-blood ruffians fighting on the sandbar through in a burst of cerulean, pinning her to the sand. Had the horns not been so wrong, the shade might have made her falter. As it was, she pulled her weapon out as crackling psionics sped past her head and fried a gaping plum hole into the mouthy leader who had launched blindly after her.

She made eye contact with Damara, sharing a nod before they each took their left to tear into the remaining four ruffians on the sandbar; the water bound attackers taking off as their head floated lifelessly down into the depths.

The entire ordeal had lasted less than ten minutes, and when the final sputtering gasp exhaled into the night air, the girls, despite past differences, fell warmly on each other’s necks.

The moment passed into teen awkwardness and they pulled apart, color dusting each of their cheeks as they both silently swore to march to their graves with the secret.

“you seen anyone else” Meenah asked, bending over to pull a cape off one of the corpses to clean her trident with.

“NO.” Damara said after a moment. “YOU HAVE.”

“nah maybe they beached near town”

“MUST BE CHECKED.” Damara suggested.

“right we gotta” Meenah looked down at herself, specked with blood.

Her first instinct was to hide it, get rid of it; on Beforus it would have been alarming, damning. Here it was a sign of victory, of strength. And if random ruffians were prone to swarm individuals and smaller groups, she needed all the evidence she could get of her prowess until her name and sign were known.

“hey gill i think we what the shell you doin” Meenah asked, turning back to her companion and cutting her initial sentence short at the odd sight she found.

“CLOWNS WOULD BUY IT.” she said matter-of-factly as she drained the still warm blood of one of their foes into a jar. “IS GOOD FOR A LOT OF THINGS. NO WORRYING. I TAKE THEIR MONEY.”

It was a shrewd business decision, Meenah had to agree. The deed done, some thirty minutes later, the girls arrived on the main shoreline of the port town. It was a sight to behold, structures that to them seemed unimaginably ancient rising up to touch the night sky.

Their factory-made clothing stood out, too, among throngs of cross-spectrum trolls in thick, handmade outfits who milled around the streets. It was hard to tell if that was buying them the multitude of stares and glares as they walked past market stalls, cast quick searching glances over slave sales, and entered and exited shops, or if it was the scandal of them doing it all shoulder to shoulder. Either way, they ignored it, both keeping their heads high and their weapons displayed readily as they searched for their companions in a world where sylladexes had quite clearly not yet been invented.

“ugh this shit takin FOR-EV--ER” Meenah groaned as midnight drew near. “aint no one beta die afore i get to em ain’t lettin us all split again”

With one eye closed, Damara seemed to be puzzling the message around in her mind. As the seconds ticked by, Meenah began to worry it had been too full of slang to understand. Before she could try again, the rust blood gave a derisive snort.

“YOU TALK AS IF WE NEVER DIE.” she said.

“you wont so long as you dont go gettin krilled i can keep beaches swimmin as long as i want”

“THE CONDESCENSION.” Damara corrected.

“she was just a me an i can do it too”

Damara scowled her disbelief.

“oh S)(OR-E dont believe me or nofin come on ill prove it”

Meenah grabbed Damara’s wrist and pulled her along as she scanned the crowds for a target. She spotted them within minutes, a blue blood with an olive standing too comfortably in his shadow to be anything other than a quadmate, despite the apparent age difference that the shorter lifespan had given to the still-sturdy mid-blood male.

It wasn’t long before the pair turned off of the main road, giving Meenah an open opportunity to pounce. With a silent flourish of an expert, she had blindfolds tightly tied around both trolls’ eyes and her trident pointed at the nape of the neck of the blue blood before he could make a move in their defense.

“good evenin” she said, pulling out the tone she had been taught to use around courtiers by her ancestor. “how much would you pay for a lil extra time with your morayeel here”

“Anything.” The answer was immediate. “Take anything, just don’t hurt him.”

“good answer” Meenah nodded.

“Now hold on,” the olive protested. “I’ve only got a handful of sweeps left, don’t lay down and surrender what you have for that.”

Meenah balanced her trident so it was resting against the blue blood’s neck and pushed solidly but gently down on his diamond who seemed to have plenty of fight in him despite his self-proclaimed fragility.

“dont shell yourshelf short old salt an hold still”

Without waiting for a reply, Meenah brushed the fingers of her right hand into the hair of the troll that knelt before her, keeping her left on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled on a blinding green energy. Ancient words flowed from her lips in a song none of the listeners could understand. In a flash, grey hairs vanished, replaced by thick black locks, and wrinkles plumped out to smoothness once again.

“sea” Meenah asked proudly, turning the youthful face for inspection.

“はい˳” Damara nodded, satisfied.

“good now you two count t ten so we can get outta the alley I aint got time for every pity struck duo to be trackin me down an if you like it don’t go crazy or anyfin but id appreciate a tip”

The pair agreed, thoroughly confounded, until their count was over and the gift they had been given brought to light. When the girls reentered the empty alley, the found a handsome sack of coins nestled against the walls of one of the shops.

“thatll come in handy” Meenah said with a shark-toothed grin. “lets get some lunch afore we starfishin again”

It quickly became apparent that one of the most difficult things about being sent to live in the distant past of a violent world would be convincing themselves it was safe to eat from stalls of food that did not in any way meet the strict health regulations they had grown up with. A short argument later, they finally spotted a stall selling eastern food that didn’t appear to be squeak beast infested or covered in grime and got in line.

“Feh, I’m sick of all these outside sea dwellers crowding our streets,” someone commented, causing both girls to snap to attention.

“Shh! There’s literally one right fucking there,” his companion hissed, nodding in Meenah’s direction. “This happens every month, you’re going to have to get over yourself and get used to it.”

“Why can’t they use some other town for their feeding ceremony?” the first asked, dropping his voice even lower.

“Because the royal lusus lives here? I don’t see how you haven’t picked up on that after three sweeps.”

“ITS F-E--EDING DAY” Meenah shrieked, causing everyone to jump and stare. “oh fuck oh glub gill we gotta go S)(IT”

Grabbing Damara’s hand, Meenah dragged her out of line and began racing down the streets back towards the port.

“there aint no way gl’bgolyb dont know im here” Meenah said as she pulled along her floating companion. “she knows every brainwave every heiress an if I cant find somefin to give her by three shell let out a protest”

She reached the docks and climbed up on a stack of boxes, scanning the multitude of boats sitting around just offshore, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

“PROTEST.” Damara questioned, landing next to the other.

“a single blip a her words enough t wipe out a score of BOUYs easy an if she mad at me it screws my chances at becoming empfish AN i dont know whos where and kankri will haunt me foreva if I get him krilled by glub so soon”

“NOT GOOD.” Damara agreed. “I WILL HAUNT YOU TOO.”

“then help me find a ship an expendable lusus O)(” Meenah’s look of terror melted away as she pointed out to sea. “look a that nerd he did it alreedy”

Damara followed her claw towards a small, flat bottomed boat with a single white triangular sail. It was nearly lost among the massive ships around it, and looked like it belonged in the rivers as opposed to the ocean. Lashed to the side under the heading “FUTURE HOPE”, was a narwalrus lusus leaking boysenberry blood into the water. A black cloth marked with Meenah’s sign in her color and her trident in red signaled who the catch was meant for.

“cronus you idiot you done whale” she praised as she dove into the murky waters and rushed towards the vessel as Damara followed behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! If you haven't noticed, or are just joining me here, I'm slightly insane. This is my third major fic that I'm starting, alongside one small one. This is the only one of the three that I might wind up only posting once a week because this took me forever to write and edit for their quirks.  
I might regret this later, but I felt it would be best to keep the quirks for talking so it's easy to tell at a glance who's talking even without the color coding. I hope I'm doing a passable job at least, Damara and Meenah are both difficult to write for because of the broken English and fish puns.  
Hopefully you enjoy reading this story, even if the first chapter is long and jumpy as the plot bursts onto the scene.


	2. Feeding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meenah formally announces her existence to her lusus and to the trolls of Alternia. The cracks that doomed the group before begin to rear their ugly heads.

It was dissociative. That was the only way to describe how it felt to wake up, surrounded by never before seen faces, and know, after countless eons, you were alive. The fluidity of the rolling seas permeated the crust around a despairing heart to soften the stunted and stagnant beats, while words from a long dead source of admiration stirred in memories shouting across time.

“nevver hesitate an nevver be late time doesnt wwait for a lazy troll an empires dont run tomorroww”

It had seemed so stupid then, the doddering ramblings of a timeless ancient near death and filled with who new how many regrets. Other, younger, sea dwellers, even the gentle Empress herself, had never seemed in such an all-consuming rush as him. Surely it was a sign of one ancestor wrong and the others right.

As the sleep of death, the weighted stillness of eternity, fell faster and faster away with each quavering pulse of a blood pusher, every breath of living air carried into air sacks, it didn’t seem like such a cryptic saying any longer.

“dont hesitate to do wwhat needs to be done no matter howw great the stain to your person or strain on your purse or wweight on your pusher”

So easy for a wealthy troll on the edge of eternity to say. No countless hours of confused contemplation could draw any other conclusion. Then he met a tiny, child-faced copy of that wizened fool. And the child still had that rush, the drive, the relentless gale; even behind the angry wall of not yet understanding the why of his actions. And his friends had forgiven him.

With time again an adversary, what was once unthinkable became automatic as the light ignited once more.

“howv much by vweight for the flat bottom sloop?”

“Fifty at grade twenty-four.”

Cronus fished old necklaces, bangles, and un-stoned rings from his inventory, deftly calling it from behind his cape, which he had carefully shorn the spiked collar off of some time ago. Luckily, Meenah’s pirating had not carried over from dreams into reality; nor had her assault on his crosshairs.

One hour after the sale was settled and the bill signed in blood, he christened “FUTURE HOPE” in scrawling white script and pushed out to sea. Less than a day remained until feeding, and there was no guarantee how long Meenah wound be present before the ceremony.

“theyll surwvivwe,” he repeated like a mantra as he pushed out towards the open sea. “this is the most important thing. theyll last until its done.”

The next day, when Damara lighted on the bow to his left, the strained scowl softened away, replaced by a grin far less sharp than an Alterian would normally show a dubious hate friend.

“hey.” He waved, but the remainder of his greeting was cut off when his ship lurched to port.

Meenah swung herself on deck, one shoulder daubed in dark blood from brushing against the hanging corpse as she climbed.

“nice of you to join HRK!” Cronus’ sarcastic greeting was cut short as he found himself clutched by the midriff, arms pinned to his sides, and hoisted into the air in a bone crushing hug.

“look at you bein all dependable an shit you saved my bass on this one crosie” Meenah exclaimed before setting him back on deck.

A flush of pride tinged Cronus’ cheeks and his silver and jewel pierced facial fins fluttered at the praise. He pushed back his ungreased, wavy bangs from where they had encroached upon his dark-circled eyes and smiled at the old nickname.

“no problem. glad you made it before the ceremony.”

“no glubbin joke” Meenah said, wringing out her long braids. “how much time we got”

Cronus looked down at a leather and white gold watch on his wrist. “thirty minutes. do you have your ceremonial cape, or do you need to improvise vwith one of mine?”

Meenah crinkled her nose. “ugh almost forgot the blubberin fin”

She ejected a pristine black cloak from her inventory, emblazoned in her sign in fine fuchsia strokes outlined in gold stitching. It was heavy, pushing weight onto her shoulders with thick fabric and the memory of countless arguments with someone she just couldn’t see eye to eye with.

“GRANDMA.” Damara called attention back to herself with the scathing remark.

Meenah scowled as Cronus reached over and unfolded a part she had managed to turn in. “whale it was that old empfish who picked it out ill fix it afore next perigee”

“sorry if all this duty talk is boring,” Cronus said. “it vwont take more than an hour.”

Damara pulled a disgusted face. “HOW ABOUT LUNCH.”

“here” Meenah ejected a golden ring with her insignia on it. “this shits gonna be dull as shit if you use this you can go back to the shop”

Damara took the ring, regarding it with the smallest amount of disdain she could manage before caving to practicality and slipping it on her left thumb, traditionally the spot to display the highest sign of association.

“gill dont give me that look it aint like i slid you an armband” Meenah said.

The rust blood viscerally revolted at the word. Armbands were for cullees on Beforus and for slaves in this darker world.

“I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU.”

“hey, now, she vwouldnt,” Cronus said, his every sense on alert as his two most volatile friends skirted around an argument.

“course not” Meenah folded her arms over her chest. “aint even got one”

The air between the three of them remained tense for several minutes. Cronus’ eyes flicked from one to the other, Damara stared daggers into Meenah who stared solidly at the deck planks below her feet.

“WHAT ARE YOU WANTING.” Damara asked at last, the rage dissipating from her features.

“dont care” Meenah shrugged and raised her eyes. “whatever you get”

“FISH.”

“cool”

“AND YOU.” Damara asked, turning to Cronus.

“same but not spicy,” he said, his features relaxing.

Damara gave a toothy grin. “SOFT MOUTH.”

The Aquarius rolled his eyes. “yeah, yeah, so sue me.”

“I RETURN.”

In a swift, fluid motion, Damara launched herself from the ship and towards shore.

“you did good, meemee,” Cronus said lowly once the other was out of sight.

“whatever the fuckin beach” Meenah dropped her arms revealing rivulets of royal blood running down her arms and fuchsia tipped claws. “you aint seen anyone else”

“no,” Cronus confirmed. “but i kept this on so they dont think the vworst if they spot me.”

He laid a hand on his white shirt, the only thing remaining of his dream bubble outfit. Even his tight jeans and shoes had been replaced by thick, knee-high leather boots and loose black fabric pants.

“i havwent had time to slick my hair or id do that too.”

“dont its glubbin stupid” Meenah said. “help me find spots for these youre major outblingin me”

Cronus clicked his tongue at her blunt dismissal of his fashion sense and took the handful of red and black studs and golden hooped earrings.

“you sure about this?” he asked.

“she aint here to say no”

As Meenah changed, added to, and adjusted her rings and bracelets, Cronus deftly pieced the delicate webbing of her facial fins with a practiced hand.

“wvere going to find them all, as soon as the ceremony ends.”

“bouy i know dont tell me”

“itll be different this time, i knowv it.”

“cronus i aint doin this shit now”

“im not trying to start it,” he said as he pushed the last hoop through. “you just look like you did that first time you approached the feeding boats with a nut beast in your clawvs.”

“ive never seen her awake afore an I look like a dweeb”

“you can alvways pick shells and pimp it out later,” Cronus said, flashing his teeth.

Meenah swatted him in the chest. “bouy shut up”

A horn blast cut into the night causing the crowds on the ships and nearby shoreline to fall silent. One by one, seven trolls were called forward by an aged sea dweller reading from a board. Not a single one was actually raised by Gl’bgolyb, yet they were high enough on the spectrum for the old one to demand their tribute.

After the last one had pulled back, before an end could be called, Cronus edged his ship forward, Meenah perched proudly on the bow, to the alarmed gasps of the crowd. The crier especially seemed disturbed, flipping through his parchments to see where he could have possibly missed a full-blooded heiress one sweep from conscription. 

No one moved to interfere and Meenah gave them no chance to. Calling out a knife from a secondary strife specibus, she slit the palm of her hand, letting blood drip on to her offering before cutting it loose. The dead beast sunk away to be received.

Another exclamation went up when a white tentacle, gnarled with years, rose from the depths to rest gently against the boat that held the new arrival. Meenah’s pusher fluttered and, after giving Cronus a nod, she dove down to where her lusus dwelled.

“THREE MEAT BUNS AND THREE KRILL FRY RICE.” Damara said to the owner of the cleanest food stall in the city. “AND MAKE ONE FOR KITTEN MOUTHED HIGHBLOOD.”

The stall attendant nodded solemnly, turning to shout the order to the cooks. Damara kept her head high, back straight, and eyes trained ahead while drawing attention to the gifted ring by spinning it around her finger. She resisted the urge to turn around as gravel crunched behind her as a pair joined the line.

“The clowns are in an uproar,” one said to her companion. “Twelve odd lights in the sky over the past three nights from here up to South Calli port.”

“Not to mention the rumors that some thick-skulled red blood dared to display his color so close to the big top,” the other said. “I think them and limes must be lacking upstairs if they can’t figure out they’re worth more as worship paint to the twins than as citizens.”

“He’s probably in South Calli and thinks the tender goddess will keep him safe when she can’t even stop her followers and their raucous pals from burning a swath through our grain.”

“Not like they give a shit. They can afford the higher prices after the farmers hide away their share. It’s the wrigglers and we midbloods have to pick up the pieces.”

“Three buns, three krill rice, one no spice.”

Damara accepted her order.

“THANK YOU.” she said loud enough for those behind her to hear.

When she turned, the olive and sage green trolls behind her scowled as she smirked. They didn’t budge as the gold on her finger caught their eye, allowing her the freedom to walk back to the docks with four paper-wrapped bundles of food.

A monumental cheer rose up from the crowd just as she reached the water’s edge. Looking out, she spotted Meenah bursting fourth from the water, a bright white scale held high above her head.


	3. Stocking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three companions escape a mounting danger before settling in to lunch and exchanging information. After testing tempers, they move to stock before their next planned step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having worked for three chapters with typing quirks, I now head cannon that Beforian and Alternian word processors did not have auto correct for capitalization because that stuff makes me want to go crazy. I can't imagine the kind of blind rage it would induce in trolls with lowercase quirks or who don't use a certain type of punctuation.

Meenah locked arms with Cronus who assisted her back onto the ship as the crowd’s cheers turned to loud gossiping. She displayed the distinct scale once more, reviving the wave of praise as trolls who had crowded around once they heard the initial cry saw what created the commotion.

“get us lost buoy” she said. “these beaches aint gonna wait much longer afore they try startin shit”

Both sea dwellers cast searching gazes over the other tributes’ ships, confirming all the hallmarks of trolls who had no intention of waiting until the empress took notice and dealt with this threat to her ages-long supremacy.

Cronus quick-stepped aft and grabbed the tiller, rocking the boat to life and turning them towards the highest opening out of the circle of ships. Meenah secured her gift before running up and catching a line of the sail, pulling hard against it to coax Future Hope around that much faster.

“course on a day we need wind its dead an lost” Meenah muttered.

Damara landed on deck beside Cronus. “WE ARE RUNNING.”

“yeah, some of those guys dont like that meenahs the newv favworite of her lusus,” Cronus explained. “vwere going to need to lie lowv for a bit, maybe somevwhere they cant followv.”

“OKAY. HOLD ON.”

Damara set their food on the deck and pulled out her needles. Her eyes glowed as psionic powers flooded out the tips of her weapons and along the outer hull of the ship. A twitch of her hands was all it took for them to spring forward like a rock from a sling, coasting across the water’s surface until they reached the river that spilled out into the sea from the main continent.

The tide was low, almost at its lowest point, but the keel didn’t so much as scrape the sandy bank as Damara lifted their craft over the delta, planting them down carefully in the estuary on the other side. She released her grip and allowed the ship to coast. Cronus deftly pulled the tiller and guided them into a tributary surrounded by willowy trees that reached thick purple leaves, beginning to turn a husky maroon, down to the surface of the water.

Meenah jumped down from the ship’s railing and pushed through the hanging branches that fell onto the deck. “that was helpful good thinkin”

Damara nodded, “I HAVE NEWS.”

“us too,” Cronus said. “lets get in here and talk about it.”

He led the way to the hatch of the deckhouse that took up the center of the ship. From the outside, it looked like a low-ceiling construction. However, the structure ran down into the hull, meaning Meenah only had to slightly tip her head to avoid scraping the ceiling with her upright horns.

They lit the dark room with electric lanterns and passed around their packages of food.

“did they have to vwrite ‘for baby’ on the package?” Cronus asked, crinkling his nose at the messy but legible scrawl.

“THEY EXPECT PLATING. THEY DON’T THINK YOU SEE IT.” Damara suggested.

“dont fuss youre a baby wit spice a grown up on loyalty an a shitty teen with mouthin off but it all balances out” Meenah said around a mouthful of fried rice.

“its not my fault evweryone likes fighting when theyre dead,” Cronus mumbled, furiously digging in to his meal before he could think of anything else to say.

“wots your news gill” Meenah asked, nudging Damara with a toe.

“ALONG THIS RIVER. TWELVE SKY LIGHTS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED FOR THREE DAYS.”

“thats all of us,” Cronus said, his fins perking up.

Damara nodded. “KANKRI HAS BEEN SPOTTED. MAYBE IN SOUTH CALLI TOWN. NAMED AFTER CALLIOPE.”

“did they say he was orcay” Meenah asked.

“SOUNDS LIKE IT. MAYBE SANTUARY TOWN. BUT CLOSE TO CLOWNS. COLOR IS NOT ILLEGAL BUT THEY WILL TAKE FOR PAINT.”

An unbidden shudder passed over the group. They had heard from their dancestors about the Alternian propensity for using blood as art supplies, but the grim reminder that this was another threat they faced hammered home just where they lived now.

“you said south calli vwas a sanctuary city, though, right? he should be safe there,” Cronus said, more pleading than optimistic.

“FOR MOST. BUT A GROUP OF TROUBLEMAKERS ARE BURNING CROPS. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR RULES.”

“wot you mean they burnin crops” Meenah scowled as she leaned her head to the side.

“SOME HIGHBLOODS AND CLOWNS ARE BURNING GRAIN.” Damara explained. “FARMERS WILL HIDE THEIR SHARE THEN SEND LESS TO MARKET.”

“wvell, its good they can get avway wvith that,” Cronus said. “but it doesnt bode wvell for us.”

A low growl cut through the air causing both Damara and Cronus to tense. A deep instinct told them to run, hide, submit; it was something even the long rule of their kindly Beforian empress couldn’t remove from there genetics entirely.

Meenah sat shaking, facial fins flared aggressively as she stared ahead, past anything she could actually see in the dim deckhouse.

“meenah,” Cronus experimentally called her name at just more than a whisper.

A bark-like noise escaped before a strangled sentence pushed its way past her fans. “those low life BITC)(---ES ill CULL em myshellf if i get to em first an dont let me catch em with one of MY gills or buoys”

Meenah’s rant cut off as she growled again, puffing out her cheeks and closing her eyes against the creeping red that consumed her vision. First Cronus, then Damara had grabbed her arms above where her bracelets covered, grounding her back to the moment.

“vwaisting foods one of her hot button issues,” Cronus attempted to explain in the stretch of silence.

“B-EAC)(AUS-E it makes everyfin more expensive first its food then clothes an meds an services an the whole court goin glub FUCKIN crazy an it takes sweeps to sort out” Meenah began to wind back up.

“okay, alright, but its not our problem yet,” Cronus said, running his hand further up her arm to the base of her shirt sleeve. “our problem is finding the others and putting ourselvwes in a good spot for vwinter. if vwe spot them in the meantime, vwe’ll keel haul them vwith the grimiest ship in the port. but wvhy dont you tell us vwhat glbgolyb said?”

Meenah looked down at his hand, turned to stare at Damara’s, then up to Cronus’ face. He gave a gentle squeeze as they stared into each other’s eyes. Two feelings collided and fought inside of her and for a moment, it felt like she might lose what she had eaten.

Instead she inhaled and nodded, twitching both arms minutely to signal the others to let go. Once free, she shoved the unwanted thoughts and her anger towards the back of her mind where they couldn’t possibly cause any future trouble.

“she called to my pan through her ocular sphere” Meenah said, starting slowly and haltingly. “she whalecomed me back to this time an said we all did good gettin the balance back in between those two cherubs she then went on about it bein time to get trolls recognizin me and told me to take a scale bein nine an all i aint got much time to get a followin afore conscription”

“IT IS GOOD SHE SAID SO.”

“yea i guess” Meenah’s voice was dull. “aint gonna help with keepin shy a trouble”

“dont wvorry about that,” Cronus said. “not a single one of us could awvoid trouble more than a fewv vweeks vwithout blowing up anyhowv.”

Meenah snorted. “true but i dont think i should run around here for tonight”

“you can guard the ship and damara and i vwill head in for supplies.”

“EAT THESE FIRST.” Damara insisted, pointing out the untouched meat buns.

Two hours was a reasonably short time to navigate an unfamiliar market for supplies they needed. Damara couldn’t help but marvel at Cronus’ knack for bartering and checklist of needs that she might not have thought of until the items were sorely missed.

“that old geezer used to take me around vwith him to stock his hobby boat,” Cronus mentioned as they left a food stall. “at least until he fell that last time.”

“HOW OLD.”

“me? like three or four. i cant even guess how old he vwas. i think most trolls lose track after a hundred.”

“YOU REMEMBER TO NOW.”

“vwell it got me interested so i kept learning,” Cronus admitted. “there are still a fewv things he taught that i remember. probably because of hovw upset i was when he died. course, now i know he had friends vwaiting on the other side so im glad he vwent before things vwent to shit.”

“YOU THINK THEY WERE STILL FRIENDS.”

“yeah. i newver got a chance to ask little wvantas, though. but those brats couldnt spend more than a couple perigees apart before they vwere back on speaking terms. so i think they got on vwell. im just wvorried howv vwell fair trying this again.”

“IT WILL BE BETTER. IM NOT MESSING WITH FUCKBOYS. SWEAR.”

Cronus laughed despite knowing he was solidly in that category. “speaking of, any bets for howv long they keep to their breakup?”

“EH. HORUSS HAS MEULIN NOW. SHE SAYS NOT GOOD THINGS ON RUFIOH WHEN HE CANT HEAR. SHE WONT LET IT BE.”

Cronus slowly bobbed his head a few times, thinking. “right, theyre moirails.”

If his voice had carried any doubt in its inflections, it was lost on Damara. He didn’t seem keen on prolonging the conversation either, guiding them back to their ship with their supplies hidden from shifty eyes seemingly in every shadow of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: I have a tumblr with the same name, only without the underscores. If you want to talk head cannons or story questions, you can drop them here or there. :) Thanks for reading.


	4. Two Additions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group grows and the limits of everyone putting on their best behavior start to be tested.

“oi its another town” Meenah called aft at Cronus. “this one beta have somefin good”

It was the third settlement the group of three had come to in as many days and the first one that could properly be called a village as opposed to a cluster of barns.

Damara and Meenah worked to raise the sail, slowing them enough for Future Hope to be guided to a halt by the river’s edge near a cluster of small fishing canoes. Foregoing their anchor, Damara used her psionic energy to lash a moor rope to one of the anchor polls driven into the ground.

With their belongings stashed safely away on their persons, and the small but visible sign of Meenah’s association with the ship, all three felt safe leaving Future Hope to watch itself as they stomached the questioning and fearful glances they had become accustomed to feeling in the darkness of the night.

“dont forget vwe need to pick up a newv tinder box before vwe leawve,” Cronus said as they neared the small market. “keep your orbs peeled.”

“make shore its labeled too cause i aint tryin a forget what it is again” Meenah said.

“YOU CAN ASK.” Damara said.

“whale lookins easier”

The three wove in and out of the tent stalls: ducking between hides, looking over displays of fresh autumn vegetables, and scowling at very small sacks of grain; all without moving more than ten feet from each other.

Cronus found a tinder box as he had been hoping, trying to keep his face calm as the poor shopkeeper named a price far too low for the product as she quaked. He seamlessly passed the ochre twice what she asked while flashing a toothless smile. He sighed as he watched the conflict warring in her eyes.

“im newver getting used to being stared at like that,” Cronus said as he sidled up behind Meenah and Damara who were comparing the designs of stone bladed knifes with polished wood handles.

“IT IS BAD FOR THE OTHERS.” Damara said.

“no joke you got what you need so we can take one more look afore movin on” Meenah asked.

“MOG! HEY!!!!!!!!!”

The three turned towards the voice just in time for a curly haired cat girl to slam into Meenah, knocking her into Damara who would have crashed into the table if it wasn’t for the quick reflexes of Cronus. Meulin squeezed tightly before letting go and taking a step back.

“I’m so happy to see mew!” she said, pushing into Damara next for an embrace. “Has efuryone been keeping it togefur? (ΦωΦ)”

“TRYING TO.” Damara said.

“you got volume control goin on your hearfins get beta”

“YES!!!!!!!!! It’s like we nefur entered the game,” Meulin said, rounding about to face Meenah. “I’m so excited to see Purrloz and Mituna!”

“thats one less thing to vworry about,” Cronus said. “hawve you been here on your owvn?”

“(╬ಠ益ಠ) < Meulin! What did I say about galloping off? You could have hurt yourself or someone else.”

“Sorry, I got excited,” Meulin said, still smiling.

Horuss approached the group, his blinder googles hanging off his tool belt, an exasperated expression on his face. “(; ó╻ò)< I understand but please be careful.”

“hey, no harm, no foul, right? gotta say im shocked you managed to find much luck hanging around here,” Cronus said, offering a hand to shake.

“(;Ò Д Ó) < Yes, my void aspect has been a GRAND help,” Horuss replied, returning the gesture. “I have found it most advantageous to hide in the shadows and allow Meulin to do most of our interacting.”

“sounds like a plan.” Cronus’ voice came strained.

Horuss jumped and released the other's hand, revealing stress marks on Cronus’ fingers.

“(;#⊙ ▱๋ ⊙!)< My apologies. I thought it wise to remove my STRENGTH draining device in this kill or be killed world and have yet to temper my grip.”

Cronus flexed his sore digits and swallowed a series of scathing remarks. “s no problem. hawve you tvwo got trawveling gear? vwe hawve a ship and a general destination.”

“Some things,” Meulin said. “But not efurything we would need.”

“lets get that bought and scram afore one a these sad sacks has a pusher attack” Meenah suggested as the murmuring of the surrounding crowd began to grow even as the number of trolls in the market dwindled.

“Good idea, I know some of the best places,” Meulin said, leading the way and dragging Damara by the hand behind her.

Horuss and Cronus followed a few feet behind the girls, eyes peeled as they struck up a conversation.

“been hanging around here long?”

“(;Ò Д Ó) < It has become our stable as we trot around the area searching for others. It has the most plentiful occupancy, meaning the most numerous work opportunities.”

Cronus nodded as they came to a stop while Meulin selected travel bedding for herself and her moirail. “hawve you seen or heard anything interesting?”

“(;Ò Д Ó) < I canter say I have. Though, I have observed nine sky anomalies since my arrival. I have a STRONG suspicion that means eleven of us have reentered the world.”

“damara heard someone say all tvwelve have been spotted. maybe one arrived before you.”

“(;Ò Д Ó) < That could be the case. Have you, perhaps, heard a whinny about Kankri?”

Cronus shook his head as they began walking again. “not directly but there vwas a rumor that a red blood displaying his color vwas spotted near the towvn vwere heading tovwards. its a sanctuary towvn named after calliope, a farming community thats the mid-to-lowv blood stronghold on this stretch of the riwver, far as we can get out of anyone. only problem is its close to clowvn central and theyre the reason grain is at a premium.”

Horuss scowled. “(╬ಠ益ಠ) < I had heard. Once everyone is together and we have stalls, I’ll look into building a frozen thermal hull. Skins and meat will be cheap going into the winter and intolerably high the next few years. More pressingly, it means everyone is in danger until we regroup.”

“mmhm.” They came to a stop again as the girls stocked up on additional food for the rest of the journey. “but at least vwe knowv vwhere theyre NOT right? vwhat vwith meulins hearing back and you sharp as a tack again.”

Horuss cracked a small, rare smile. “(# ゜v ゜#)< Thank you for saying so, high blood. I can also confirm all of our members have safely transitioned out of that particular region.”

“just ours?”

“(;Ò Д Ó)< I’m afraid I did not see the younger Makara leave in the same way I did our companions before waking up. So far there has been no sign of him while searching.”

Cronus crossed his arms over his chest. “vwell, i suppose thats enough proof. not like much can be done nowv anyhowv. howv did your moirail do when she came to?”

The sea dweller flinched almost as soon as the word left his mouth. He hadn’t meant to sound so incredulous, and the twitch of the blue blood’s ears made it apparent the inflection had been noticed. Despite this, if Horuss was upset about the quip, he did not display it.

“(;Ò Д Ó)< Meulin did well. There have been a hoofful of nightmares, seemingly inexplicable bouts of fear when isolated in the darkness: nothing that cantor be attributed to a normal trauma response. My greatest fear is for the other two, as they are neither of them the founts of optimism that she is. Nor is it likely they would have come through the ordeal with the same understanding as she did, though I cantor be certain, as she knows far more about what happened than I would have expected.”

“are you two buoys just gonna stand about talkin all night come give us a frond back to the ship wit these” Meenah called.

“coming!”

The conversation dropped and, after a series of admiring exclamations as Horuss threw three of the large produce sacks over his shoulder with ease, the group of five made their way back to their waiting vessel and shoved off to get a few more miles in before daybreak.

The air hung light over the group. The girls kept to the bow of the ship for the most part; Meenah occasionally wandering aft to escape the ceaseless, and at times lurid, conversation of Damara and Meulin.

“its gonna be light soon” she noted on one such occasion. “you think well find a branch or should we drop anchor here”

'Here' was a pool to the side of the main flow of the river that would keep them out of any day traffic passing through.

“heres good,” Cronus said. “suns coming up faster than i thought. vwe might not make the next tributary.”

They pulled to the side, dropped anchor, and agreed upon a watch schedule before all but Horuss, the first watch, lay down to sleep.

A buzzing alarm on a wrist watch woke Damara five minutes before she was meant to relieve Horuss from his post. She pushed herself up, wondering how he might react once she neared him. He had been avoiding her the entire day, not that as much wasn’t to be expected, and he had looked almost terrified when she offered to take the second shift.

She spied him scowling at a book in the light filtering in from the cracked open hatch.

_HE LOOKS LIKE A CONFUSED CHILD._

A sharp inhale of breath at her prod on his shoulder spoke louder than the open and vulnerable stare that he pinned her with as he pulled away.

“8=D < Excuse me! I lost track of the time. I was not expecting you so soon and find myself spooked like a yearling colt.”

Without his equipment to convert his sweat to steam, a rush of liquid poured down his face, wetting his outfit unimaginably quickly.

“DO NOT MAKE THAT FACE.” Damara said. “QUARREL IS DEAD LIKE BEFORUS. I AM FINISHED.”

The strained grin fell away, leaving deep lines of exhaustion unsuited to a nine-sweep old. “(；≧︿ ≦)< Thank you.”

Damara nodded. “IT IS A DIFFICULT BOOK?”

“(；= Д = )< Ah, yes, Meulin suggested that it would behoof me more to attempt learning the eastern language before attempting to craft my universal translation device.” He held up a book that read “Western to Eastern Translations” over top of Eastern characters. “I am afraid it is painfully slow going as I am having trouble discerning a working pattern to the words.”

Damara started to laugh, not harsh but heartily. Horuss couldn’t find enough sense in her laughter to do more than quirk an eyebrow.

“(；ಠ ? ⊙) < May I ask what is so humorous?”

“IT IS A BAD BOOK.” Damara explained, lowering her voice as a few sounds of complaint crossed the cabin. “TITLE SAYS MOON MOON SUN STAR. TRANSLATIONS ARE ALL BAD WORDS.”

Horuss looked incredulous, causing Damara to give examples.

“THIS SAY NOOK. THIS ONE BONE BULGE. AND HERE IS LET ME FILL YOUR”

“(；@ 言 @ ;;;)< Alright, thank you, I believe I have the full picture now.” Horuss’ shirt was drenched at that point, his face flushing deep indigo, and a noticeable pout on his face.

Damara gave another, quieter, laugh and squished Horuss’ face between her hands, causing him to freeze. “DO NOT POUTING. NEXT TIME I HELP CHOOSE ONE.”

“₍₍;;≧ʍ≦;;⁾⁾ < Y-yes, thank you,” he stuttered, his voice strained.

“YES. NOW SLEEP.”

She released him and the Sagittarius stumbled away obediently, laying down on top of his bedding without another word.

Meulin rolled over when her jittering moirail’s presence filled the area behind her. She reached out, eyes still closed, and took his hand, stilling him as she smiled her pitiful praise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pleasedon'thateonmeIhaveanexplainationbehindthethingwithMeulinandtheothertwothereisstillstufftounpackandI'mnotjustglossingoverthingsok?ok. 
> 
> Also these emojis almost krilled me.


	5. South Calli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding the town might be the easiest part of locating their remaining friends in a world where lowblood solidarity against a highblood threat is the unspoken rule.

Rapidly shortening fall days left long, cool hours open to searching and thinking. As motorless travel stretched from expected days into two agonizing weeks without another friend sighted, those thoughts strained and darkened.

“are we there Y-ET” Meenah barked after making three quick-paced rounds of the deck.

“surprisingly, no, vwere no closer than vwhen you asked twvo minutes ago,” Cronus mumbled back.

“dont glubbin sass me” she replied. “it aint my fault its takin forever”

“aint MY fault vwe gotta get out and check at evwery settlement.” Cronus kept strained eyes forward over the roof of the deckhouse. “if kan vwas here vwe vwouldnt have to vwaste time.”

No matter how soft the words left his lips, they made their way into the sharp auricular sponge clots of the already testy team leader. 

“oh shore im shore things would be so fuckin P-ERF---ECT wit )(IM here instead a me” she rounded on him, sclera darkening to orange. “youll have to tell him how much beta he is but wait youre too SPIN-EL---ESS to say somefin direct”

“YOU ARE NOT GOOD WITH QUADRANTS OR TEMPERS.” Damara inserted, positioning herself to intercept if the two sea dwellers grew closer.

Meenah’s head snapped her direction. “LIKE YOU ARE ANY BETA B-EACH!”

“(ﾉ*ФωФ)ﾉ H33Y!!!!!!!!! Okay, efurybody, let’s wind down a minute. There’s no reason to get meowr tails in a knot ofur this. The town is only an hour away, I know they’ll be fine,” Meulin said, pressing on her best smile and squeezing into to triangle of tension with all the prep and bounce she could muster.

“oh, stepping in to play auspice, kitty cat?” Cronus’ mouth curled into a sleazy grin while his eyes stared like dead lights at the side of her face that turned towards him.

A solid hand came down on his shoulder and Cronus braced himself against the looming darkness that pressed close behind him.

“໒( ⇀ ‸ ↼ )७ < Perhaps it was f*lly for me to wander so gradually when I first arrived.” The icy chill to Horuss’ words froze out the rising anger in his listener’s core. “And I most sincerely apologize for my ineptitude in that regard. However, as my dear moiral says, there is reason to hope in the safety of our remaining companions and no reason to gallop back into the folds of past mistakes like unbridled yearlings.”

“yeah, youre right, sorry,” Cronus said, dropping his gaze downwards. “letting this shit get to me. i vwasnt trying to say youre a bad leader meenah, just missing a talent i took for granted before.”

Meenah stood, her arms over her chest, and scowl more pained than angry distorting her features. “right me too sorry that is i keep thinkin if they aint okray when we get there itll be one more way that i that she”

Meulin threw her arms around the wilting fuchsia. “We’re all worried, but the important thing is to stay strong togefur so Kankri doesn’t have anything to caterwaul about.”

Meenah gave a small chuckle as a smile notched up her lips. “heh yeah triggerfish will probably beach about us bein worried at all”

“(；= v = ) < Well, it’s not as if any of us are good at displaying our emotions,” Horuss said, giving Cronus a softer pat on the shoulder before withdrawing his hand completely. “His rants are his particular bad habit.”

“NEEDS SOMEONE TO TELL HIM TO STOP.” Damara said.

“oarfishly tween him an serket i cant even pay attention more an a minute” Meenah said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Don’t focus on it meow,” Meulin said. “Let’s head up front and watch fur the town.”

She raced across the deck, Damara following behind.

“(; ó╻ò) < Meulin, don’t run you could fall,” Horuss chided, quick stepping after them.

Cronus sighed as the noise migrated toward the bow, leaving him with his thoughts. Or so he thought until a small weight pressed into his shoulder blades.

“sorry i brought up the thing” Meenah spoke lowly into his spine.

“sokay. sorry i dont think before i open my big mouth,” Cronus replied, warring with just how much to relax at her touch.

“me either”

Silence hung in the air between them as Meenah continued to lean her head on Cronus’ shoulder. As far back as memories stretched, they found themselves here eventually, though never for long once the stories of quadrants and pity started to enter the group’s normal vocabulary.

“whale sorry for doin all this again” Meenah gave a squeezing hug from behind before pulling away. “maybe think boat sayin somefin to him though cant hurt when were surrounded by death”

Cronus gave a snorting laugh before leaning into a curve of the river. “right, vwell think about howv to dodge the taking advwantage lecture for that one.”

Meenah gave a supportive wave before walking towards where the others stood in the spray of the rapid river to watch for their highest hope for finding the rest of their friends.

The large, pink moon was a waning gibbous and the smaller, two-toned moon shone a waning red crescent as both climbed towards their peak over South Calli as Future Hope pulled up to its docks. A pool had been carved out sweeps prior, making a small lake to fill with trade boats in this sanctuary commerce town. Twice the size of where they had picked up Horuss and Meulin, the town still held hardly anyone above the jade line, causing that familiar staring and flinching as the group of five paid the small mooring fee and a thin, dirty six-sweep old deck hand to watch their empty ship while they searched.

Entering the town proper, they approached a tall pillar covered in writing on parchments. As they had been expecting, the signs were calls for employment, advertising pay by night farm jobs that would easily allow their friends to survive. They did their best to ignore the stares and murmurs as they discussed plans to split up and search. Though if they had listened and watched, they might have seen how much at ease the sight of an olive and burgundy wearing high colors without arm bands put the adults around them.

Cronus had gone by himself along the back roads of the town, casting casual glances at hives and shopfronts as he went. There was little use pretending he wasn’t looking for one particular troll above the others, and he knew after the initial sighting with the sweater, Kankri would avoid the main road of the town as much as possible. As vigilant as he attempted to be, he nearly missed what he was looking for.

The shophive’s sign was small, a placard over the door. The wooden sign, advertising free book reading in the early morning hours with the purchase of a drink, that hung in the window was similarly easy to overlook. He grinned as he sped into the store and up to the counter where the verdant owner and honey assistant stood with mounting nerves.

“good evwening,” Cronus quickly hid his fangs in a softer smile. “iwve been trawveling along the riwver looking for some friends i vwas separated from. this looks like a spot a fewv of them vwould enjoy. you vwouldnt happen to have had a troll by the name of kankri vwantas come through here?”

“I’m afraid I have a few too many customers to memorize all of their names, my lord,” the owner said with a stiff bow as his assistant backed away. “Please forgive me.”

Cronus tried his upmost to avoid looking hurt. “hey, dont swveat it. but hes a standout guy; about a head shorter than me, talks a bit too much on occasion, nubby horns that almost dont showv through his hair no matter howv vwell he combs it?”

A light went off in both of their eyes and Cronus almost leapt for joy, even when that disappointing look of warring objectives filled their looks alongside it. Kankri had been there at some point, but they likely didn’t buy that this sea dweller was a lowblood’s friend.

“here, look,” Cronus pulled out a handwritten message from Kankri. He didn’t have a recent picture without his friend in that bright red sweater, and they had already learned photography hadn’t been invented yet in this unstable world. “you cant mistake those svwirls, i svwear i’m not looking to harm him.”

The owner looked at the distinct scrawl, signed with a meticulously practiced signature, and reached a decision. Pulling out a large book from under the counter, he turned to the most recent pages before laying it out in front of Cronus.

“He’s been here nearly every morning for the past two and a half weeks, though at this hour he’ll be in the inland fields. He comes in with a goldenrod and a teal every once in a while, and was accompanied by a ruddy orange on one occasion.”

Cronus’ facial fins flapped as he beamed at the familiar names on the receipt log: Kankri Vantas, Mituna Captor, Latula Pyrope, and one instance of Rufioh Nitram. His mood was too high to be brought down by the three unrepresented names, even if it was almost unheard of for Aranea to turn down the opportunity to read.

“thank you so much, vwevwe been evwervwhere,” he said to the adult who found it impossible to doubt their sincere connection as the happy Aquarius tripped over his words.

Cronus almost bolted out to find the others, but thought better of it. Turning around and bounding to the shelves, he picked up three massive historical tomes, ensuring he selected ones with multiple copies to spare the generosity of the owner.

His gratitude purchase made, he raced out the door back to the signboard that served as their meeting spot, leaving the two trolls in the bookhive and teashop with an unfamiliar light in their pushers.

“DID YOU FIND ANYONE.” Damara asked Horuss and Meulin as they approached where she leaned on the signboard.

“(;Ò Д Ó) < We confirmed sightings of Pyrope and… Nitram, as they are very distinct, purchasing food.”

“(^=˃ᆺ˂) It also sounds like Kankri and Tuna were with them,” Meulin added.

“YES. THOSE FOUR SEEN HEADED OUT TO WORK.” Damara said. “MEENAH WILL BE MAD NOT ALL OF THEM.”

“(;Ò Д Ó) < That is possible, though, perhaps, if anyone had to be missing, those three are the most capable of holding on a bit longer.”

“YES. ALSO HERE.” Damara produced a leather-bound book with only a single word, ‘Translation’ written on the stem. “LIKE PROMISED. I CHECKED IT FIRST.”

“(;@Ò Д Ó@)< Ah, thank you,” Horuss cracked open the volume and leafed through the tight, neat script. “It still b*ggles my mind that in an age without a printing press, such an insincere work would reach such a wide circulation.”

Damara grinned. “YOU LEARN LANGUAGE. YOU ATTEND ONE HIGHBLOOD PARTY WHERE A TROLL SAYS WRONG THING. YOU UNDERSTAND THE JOKE WHEN STAFF LAUGH.”

“hey!” Cronus interrupted their conversation by running up to them. “i found a book shop that has seen kankri, tulip, tuna, and rufioh. the owvner says kan goes in ewvery night and is definitely in the fields on the inland side of towvn.”

“(=ↀωↀ=)✧That’s great!” Meulin said, clapping her hands. “The meowns we asked didn’t give quite such pawsitive answers.”

“i had to do some convwincing to get them to be honest, so ill believe it. is meenah back yet?

“(;Ò Д Ó) < No, I’m afraid not.”

“Should we wait or go ahead?” Meulin asked.

“GO. WE CAN RETURN AFTER FINDING THEM.”

There was a moment of silence, the morning’s argument and the ongoing situation colliding in the other three minds.

“shes right, meenah wants them safe most of all,” Cronus said, bringing the others over to their side.

The four turned and walked off west, away from the river and towards the fields.

Meenah, meanwhile, plodded along the winding road between rows of crops that low and midbloods bowed over to gather. Her hands were in her pockets as she scanned the fields, watching for the backs that remained straight at the sight of an heiress with a white scale strapped to her back while most cowered at the unexpected and typically deadly sight.

_would lettin triggerfish lecture me make up for not dislikin the grovlin_

She mulled on the thought as she crested a hill, but lost it in the next moment as her feet began to pound the ground in a run.

A nubby-horned, black poncho wearing troll took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow as he let a cool breeze sooth the heat of labor. A few of his fellow workers looked back in alarm, a few backpedaling, one falling over.

Kankri Vantas frowned at the sight, tales of rampaging clowns moving to the foreground of his thoughts as he started to turn his head. Before he could look, arms wrapped around his waist and his feet left the ground.

“oAhAmAyAgAlAuAbAbAiAnAfAuAcAkAtArAiAgAgAeArAfAiAsAhAyAoAuArAeAaAlAiAvAeAaAnAdAnAoAtAdAeAaAdAaAnAdAiAdAiAdAnAtAfAuAcAkAuApAaAnAdAlAiAtAtAlAe AsAhAoAuAtAyAmAcAnAuAbAsAwAoAnAtAbAeApAiAsAsAeAdAaAtAmAeH!!!”


	6. Fieldside Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once the scare is over, Kankri and Meenah catch up before the group splits to locate their remaining companions. Some of the locals begin to hit their limits with this odd group of trolls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never realized how many o's were in the words I used until I had to pay attention to them.

Meenah dropped the tense and screaming Kankri back onto solid ground and jumped away, splaying her arms out wide.

“sorry everfins fin” she wagged her hands as she turned to the startled and cowering onlookers with a hunched pose and drooped fins. “aint krilled him or nothin just forgot he aint coral with touchin i got excited”

Kankri turned around, hand over his racing blood pusher and eyes wide. “Meenah! Y9u nearly scared the life 9ut 9f me.”

“sorry” she repeated, grin bordering apologetic and mischievous.

“Yes, well, I’ll f9rgive y9u. It has 6een a l9ng three weeks and I can understand getting excited,” Kankri said, his voice even despite the rush of energy under its notes. “I ap9l9gize as well f9r screaming. I can’t imagine this transiti9n has 6een perfectly easy f9r any 9f us.”

“we coral then”

“Indeed. Have y9u 6een 9n y9ur 9wn f9r this entire time?”

“nah damara an i schooled right off an sunk some shits who thought they could krill us then we met with cronus bein responsible wit a ship an a meal for my lusus on feedin day” Meenah prattled, counting on claws with chipped polish as she spoke. “oh then look what she gave me” she unhooked her scale. “this means she acknowledges me as the next empfish so i got my name out there now then we swam up river an caught horuss and meulin on the way”

Kankri’s eyes lit up. “In that case, every9ne is acc9unted…”

“i heard the vwantas alarm. vwhats going on?” Cronus came to a stop after running up on the pair, panting and scanning the area for danger, seeing only whispering farm hands trying to not make their flagrant staring as obvious as it was.

A smile ticked up the corner of Kankri’s mouth before he could prevent it. “S9rry, I am afraid it was a false alarm.

“i ran up from behind and picked him up” Meenah explained.

The alarm left his face, replaced by a pursed lip pout. “awv, meenah stole a hug?”

Kankri rolled his eyes. “D9n’t whine, Cronus.”

Meenah chuckled and elbowed Cronus, who stuck out his tongue before flashing his own grin. “vwell, im glad youre okay.”

“I am als9 pleased every9ne has managed t9 pull thr9ugh 9ur first weeks here unscathed. Did the 9ther three stay 6ack at the t9wn?”

“nah, theyre coming i just ran ahead.”

Kankri nodded, but a thought crossed his mind. “At the risk 9f 6reaking my 9wn general ha6it 9f av9iding triggering 6ehavi9rs such as assumpti9ns and d9u6ts centered 9n 9ther’s capa6ilites; might I inquire ab9ut the 9verall well6eing 9f y9ur gr9up (c9nsidering the h9stile nature 9f s9me 9f the relati9nships 9f its members in the past)?”

“its been good,” Cronus said, brushing his bangs back from his face. “horuss and meulin are getting on like a proper pair of moirails, horuss and damara are on speaking terms; hes evwen making an attempt to learn eastern.”

“a slow attempt” Meenah said.

“cut him some slack, evweryone has something theyre bad at. anyvway, damara and meenah hawve been good too.”

“this evening was bad” Meenah admitted.

“Did the tw9 9f y9u get int9 a fight?” Kankri asked.

“vwe all got in a fight. meulin and horuss calmed us dowvn, though, and ewveryone apologized.”

Worry melted into relief. “G99d. It w9uld 6e a shame t9 start 6uilding hurt feelings again already.”

Meenah tilted her head and crossed her arms. “you shore youre fin you aint got half the steam you normally do”

“I supp9se it is rather 96vi9us.” The faintest hint of red colored his cheeks. “I have f9und it difficult t9 maintain my typical zeal after twelve h9ur shifts in the field and, in light 9f 9ur current situati9n, it has presented itself as a necessity t9 curtail s9me 9f my rhet9ric’s severity t9 preserve the 9verall harm9ny 9f the gr9up.”

Cronus stepped forward and bent over to be on eye level with the marginally shorter troll. “are the others giwving you a hard time?”

“N9t at all,” Kankri said, holding the eye contact. “Everything has 6een decent 9verall. Y9u will find that I am n9t the 9nly 9ne wh9 has 6een quieter.”

When three more trolls emerged onto the scene to join the conversation, a few of the onlookers reached their limit and pulled back from the area. Those who remained no longer hid their stares as they watched with bated breath for the slightest sign of conflict in the uncharacteristicly large and diverse group.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Was it a false alarm after all?” Horuss asked.

“yeah, no big deal,” Cronus said.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < E%cellent. It would have been most unfortunate if we had managed to be minutes late to a pleasant reunion.”

“Right? But we have at least fur meowr found,” Meulin said. “Only three to go! (^#^ᆺ^)”

“Actually, y9u five were the 9nly 9nes I c9uld n9t acc9unt f9r,” Kankri explained. “I had seen all 9f the pr9rtals 9pen, 6ut l9st track 9f m9st 9f y9u within a few days. Kn9wing that y9u were t9gether, it n9w makes a certain am9unt 9f sense that I w9uld have a limited a6ility t9 keep track 9f y9ur l9cati9n.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < I apologize, my attribute can interrupt seer abilities.”

“N9 need t9 ap9l9gize f9r such an integral part 9f y9urself.”

“(; @Ò Д Ó@) < Thank you.”

“WHERE ARE THE OTHERS. THEY ARE CLOSE.” Damara asked.

“Latula and Mituna are traveling t9 6ee hives spread acr9ss the farmlands,” Kankri explained. “They are c9llecting h9ney and preparing them f9r the winterizati9n pr9cess. Rufi9h is watching a heard 9f gru6 steers. I cann9t say with precise certainty where he is apart fr9m n9rth. He wanders quite a 6it during his nights.”

He opened his mouth to say more but quickly closed it, worrying his lip with a fang before deciding against whatever had come to his mind.

“As f9r the 9ther three, they are n9t here in this t9wn 6ut acr9ss the river and inland at a r9ugh and vi9lent 9uter sect9r 9f the cl9wn capital.”

Meenah scowled. “whatre they doin out there”

“P9rrim said that their g9al is a faster accumulation 9f currency. If I’m n9t mistaken, they are frequenting gam6ling dens, f9r lack 9f a better w9rd (as casin9s as we kn9w them are a l9ng way fr9m inventi9n).”

“just por? vwhat about the others?” Cronus asked.

“Aranea and Kurl9z have yet t9 acc9mpany P9rrim 9n her near daily visits t9 check in with us. They are, in her w9rds, ‘m9ping and wall9wing in self-pity’. Mituna is quite upset a69ut it, 6ut we have 6een assured it is far t99 danger9us t9 rush them.”

“BLU)( it would be them” Meenah exclaimed. “okray gill lets get goin we got some beaches to net”

She pointed at Damara who nodded and followed after.

“you vwant any more help?” Cronus asked.

“well be fin the clown aint like you now anywave” Meulin called back.

“ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿Tell him I miss him and want to hear him speak again!” Meulin called after.

Meenah gave a wave over her shoulder.

“I supp9se her pr9active nature sh9uld n9t surprise me,” Kankri said.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Yes, she has been e%tremely singular minded in her pursuit of a reunited friend group.”

Kankri smiled softly. “That’s g99d. N9w, I d9n’t wish t9 6e rude, 6ut my salary was given at the start 9f the night, meaning I am duty 69und t9 c9mplete my shift. The 9ther w9rkers are als9… unaccust9med t9 seeing seadwellers and I am gr9wing quite unc9mf9rta6le with the c9nstant staring.”

“|ΦωΦ|Well, mewl have to get used to it. It happens efurywhere,” Meulin said.

Horuss placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “(; Ó w Ò) < Be that as it may, we should take the time to let the others know we have arrived safely. It will also be nice, I should think, to spend some time away from the crowds.”

Meulin smiled. “Right, just thought I should let him kmeow. A quiet walk sound purrfect afur the cramped boat.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Of horse. Shall we meet at the town square, or the ship?”

“lets say the ship. if she does get them back, twvelvwe trolls might be a bit much for the villagers,” Cronus said.

The moirails set off down the trail that ran between plots and out of sight.

“vwell, guess ill head out too,” Cronus said with a sigh. “im really glad to see you.”

“I am glad t9 see y9u as well. There will 6e plenty 9f time t9 talk later,” Kankri said.

Cronus smiled. “id like that, vwhenevwer you hawve time. but nowv i need to see if mitunas really on the ups, evwen if hes still got a grudge.”

“They’ll 6e c9ming thr9ugh that way,” Kankri said, pointing west. “I suspect it will g9 decently.”

“nowv i really need to find him. thanks, chief!” Cronus gave a small wave in lieu of any physical contact, grinning excitedly with his fins fluttering, before he headed to where Kankri had pointed.

Kankri waved as well, finding it much harder to deny the warmth in his chest now that he was alive. Yet he attempted to shove it aside and focus instead on his work.

When a hand touched his shoulder a moment later, he was able to keep his reaction to a gasp and jump.

“Sorry, kid, didn’t mean to scare you after that,” the farm owner, a peacock green midblood, said. “I rushed out as soon as I heard there was a group of highbloods surrounding you in the fields. Are you alright?”

Kankri drew a sharp inhale. His easy smile vanished, replaced by knit brows and down turned lips. The change caused his employer to flinch back. The reaction was enough to satisfy the flare of anger building in his chest, allowing Kankri to take a deep breath and coax his expression back to a neural gaze.

“Given h9w the enc9unter began, I can understand h9w such a c9nclusi9n c9uld 6e drawn. I als9 appreciate y9ur and the 9thers’ c9ncern f9r my well6eing. H9wever, there is n9t, n9r was there ever, cause f9r alarm as they are my friends. If y9u’ll recall, I menti9ned I had friends wh9 I was waiting f9r. I even, if I am n9t mistaken, menti9ned that they were 9n the c99l end 9f the hem9spectrum. Meenah als9 made an eff9rt t9 ap9l9gize t9 every9ne f9r the misunderstanding caused 6y her sudden c9ntact, which startled me int9 screaming.”

“Are you claimin’ you’re friends wit an heiress? The one wot got scaled just two weeks out?” a rust blood asked. “Wot are you on?”

Kankri’s face twitched. “While I understand your incredulity, I have kn9wn Meenah Peixes since we were gru6s. In fact, we have all kn9wn each9ther f9r as l9ng and, th9ugh I am aware that such cr9ss spectrum friendships are rare and 9ften hidden, that d9es n9t detract fr9m 9ur reality. They mean n9 harm and have spread 9ut t9 prevent any und9 stress 9n the 9ther w9rkers and t9 inf9rm the remainder 9f 9ur friends 9f their arrival.”

Most of the lower blood workers began to murmur, casting dark and suspicious glances towards the mutant.

The farm owner looked less angry and more concerned. “Well, you are unharmed. And I suppose it does make a certain amount of sense that you would have other well-mannered high blood friends considering Miss Latula. Though, I still admit I have yet to meet a single seadweller who would hold company with a troll beneath the jade line as anything other than a slave; let alone five.”

“9nly Meenah and Cr9nus are seadwellers. H9russ is a bluebl99d, Meulin is an 9live, and Damara is a 6urgundy. And bef9re any9ne can assume, neither Meulin n9r Damara are 6anded.”

“Is that so?” the owner said. “Alright, if everything is fine, I’ll try not to worry. Will they be coming back to town?”

“Yes, I 6elieve they have a 69at at the pier and will likely 9verday here. 6ey9nd that, we have n9t yet made plans.”

The midblood nodded. “I look forward to it. I’m curious to see such a group, and what it might be like for such a one as your friend to be scaled by the royal lusus. Now, I’m going to ask the rest of you to get back to work.”

The remaining trolls begrudgingly returned to their posts, but not without a final shot.

“Wot’s next? You gonna parade in a clown posse?”

“N9, there’s 9nly 9ne cl9wn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if I've mentioned it on this story yet, but I have a Tumblr with the same name (minus underscores). I don't get a lot of asks over there yet, but am always open for a chat or question.
> 
> I also want to say thanks for the 100 hits! I'm excited to know this story is still reaching an audience!


	7. R4D1C4L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cronus runs into Latula and Mituna encountering a far less pleasant sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of head cannons this chapter. We don't know what Mituna's preaccident type quirk looked like, so I decided that in order to make it different than Sollux, I would use 1 and 0 to represent binary and use all caps and end punctuation. I have also always head cannoned him as having higher bursts of energy.   
Thanks for reading as always, and hope you enjoy.

Cronus followed the winding trails further inland between fields ripe for harvest, humming showtunes from the human show Hairspray as we went. He was pleasantly surprised to find that alone with his hands in his pockets, the few trolls he passed seemed far less bothered by his presence; a few bowed but most simply minded their task. He found himself scanning every one as he passed for signs of injury, banding, or strife and couldn’t help but wonder if it was Alternian paranoia or Beforian culling training that motivated him.

A grove of apple trees drew near as he continued, ladders leaning on a few where the trolls harvesting them had stopped for lunch. The crisp, sweet smell brought back memories of sneaking into the groves at age five with a few of the others to pinch ripe fruit before running through the pumpkin patches.

_“Mituna, lift him do+wn fro+m there befo+re he gets hurt,” Porrim demanded, stomping her foot. _

_“PFFT! N0 WAY HE G0T H1MSELF UP THERE HE CAN GET D0WN” Mituna replied as he landed on the ground with his own apple in hand. _

_“Do+n’t be rude! I’m co+ming Kanny!” _

_“N9! I can d9 it myself!” Kankri had shouted back, clinging to the trunk of the tree. “Y9u’re t99 cl9se.”_

_“Yo+u’re go+ing to+ fall- hey!”_

_Cronus shoved one of the ripe apples at her face. “he said he can do it porrie, let him try. you can do it kanny!” _

_“but hurry up or im gonna throw the mushy ones at you” Meenah called._

_“HAHAHAH! ME T00!” _

_“I’ll tell the empress if y9u d9!” _

_“whale now i gotta hit you on principle” _

The entire group had been covered in apple mush by the time they met the rest of their friends at the pumpkin patch, but everyone had forgotten the offence by that point anyway.

Bright yellow, teal, and red stuck out as soon as Cronus reached the edge of the first section of the orchard. A road ran through the middle on either side of a natural creek. Latula and Mituna were at the threshold of a plank bridge, looking back towards the way they came. Cronus followed their gaze and his heart sank, five clowns were in the trees, that he could see.

_no, its four and a blue quadmate. hes vwearing more of his flushs color than his owvn. _

The distinction did little to sooth him with the stories he had heard. Neither did the words he heard echoing through the trees.

“WHAT 1S UP, M0THERFUCKERS?”

Cronus called out his crosshairs as he groaned internally, but waited. His eyes darted around to every shadow, every branch, every trunk as he tried to determine if the group had actually revealed all of its members.

“THE TWIN MOONS, MY BOLD BROTHER,” called back the highest blooded of the group, a clown just shy of the boarder of being a seadweller. “HOW ARE YOU FAIRING?”

“DEPENDS 1F Y0UR THE GR0UP BURN1NG CR0PS 0R N0T.”

“FAIR ENOUGH, BROTHER. WE’LL IDENTIFY AS FOLLOWERS HOLDING TO THE SWEET SISTER CALLIOPE. WE ARE OUT TO GUARD HER SANCTUARY AND HOLD RECKONING TO OUR DISGRACED BRETHREN.”

Cronus relaxed his grip but didn’t put the crosshairs away. He didn’t have reason to think they were lying, but he wasn’t convinced Mituna wasn’t digging his own grave talking to them like they were Kurloz.

“SWEET THEN 1M D01NG G00D. THERE WAS A SH1TT0N 0F H0NEY T0DAY.”

“ALWAYS A BLESSING TO FIND A BOUNTY. BUT HOW IS IT YOU’RE NOT GRAND WITH YOUR LADY BY YOUR SIDE?”

“MY M01RA1L 1S HAV1NG A R0UGH T1ME AND 1 CANT GET T0 H1M YET. BUT 1 HAVE FR1ENDS C0M1NG WH0 W1LL DRAG H1M 0UT F0R ME.” Mituna held up a purple diamond charm on a necklace.

“IS IT THE BROTHER WHO TAUGHT YOU YOUR BOLDNESS?”

“H1S NAME 1S KURL0Z MAKARA. HAVE Y0U MET H1M?”

“ONCE ONLY, AND HE DID LOOK AS IF HE NEEDED A DIAMOND. SHOULD I LOOK FOR HIM?”

“N0, THANKS. L1KE 1 SA1D, AN0THER HATEFR1END 1S 0N THE J0B.”

The clown nodded. “IN THAT CASE, I’LL HOLD MY PIECE UNTIL I SEE HIM AT THIS MONTH’S MEET. I’LL BE ASKING IF HE’S BEEN WITH HIS OWN WHEN I SEE HIM.”

“R1GHT 0N.”

The group of clowns turned to leave after exchanging farewells. Four shuffled off into the night without a sound, leaving their speaker to turn back once more.

“MISS TEAL, I APPRECIATE YOUR CUNNING, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, YOUR RED-BLOODED FRIEND HAS A STRONGER DESCRIPTION OUT THAN THE COLOR OF HIS SWEATER. I’D HAVE HIM CHANGE TOWNS OR CAP HIS HORNS UNTIL TIME HAS PASSED FOR HIM TO BE FORGOTTEN.”

With that, the last of them vanished, leaving a chill down three spines with his dire warning.

_guess that means vwere not staying here. _Cronus thought as he put away his gun and stepped out into the open.

A lesson Cronus had been taught when he was younger was that blinking can help speed up the time it takes for eyes to readjust to a closer vantage point after staring off in the distance for long periods. He had also learned to maintain his hiding spot until the change had been enacted, though he always managed to forget that last part. He found himself remembering, though, when a solid, sparking mass collided with his chest and sent him sprawling.

“CR0NUS Y0U ASSH0LE F1NALLY! 1 CANT BEL1EVE Y0U T00K S0 L0NG T0 GET HERE. KURL0Z W0NT LEAVE THE FUCK1NG DEATH QUARTERS 0F CL0WN T0WN AND 1 NEED T0 FUCKING AP0L0GIZE AND”

Mituna’s words came out faster and faster until Cronus couldn’t decipher what was being said.

“OWV! fucking shit mit i dont need grub scar piercings,” Cronus complained as Mituna’s squeezing greeting hug involved every one of his claws.

Cronus delivered a quick jab with one of his own claws into Mituna’s side, causing him to jump and the torrent of words to cut off. A small yelp startled Cronus who immediately recognized his actions, staring wide-eyed up at Latula.

“h3y, my dud3, don’t sw34t 1t,” Latula said with a smile. “1 don’t th1nk k4nkr1 h4s h1s tr1gg3r s3nsor out h3r3 in r34l l1f3. plus, b4b3z 1s b4ck 1n h1s m1nd so 1’m not worr13d.”

Cronus sighed in relief as he propped himself up when Mituna pulled back. “good, because things vwent vwell vwith him and i dont vwant to be in the hot seat nowv. anyvway, vwhat are you babbling about?”

Mituna squished Cronus’ face in his hands. “1M TRY1NG T0 SAY S0RRY. N0 SHUT UP!” Mituna clamped his hand over Cronus’ mouth as he started to protest. “1 D1DNT FUCK1NG ST1CK T0 THE PLAN AND 1 FUCKED EVERYTH1NG UP S0 1M S0RRY. 1M ALS0 S0RRY MY BRA1N G0T MEGA BR0KE 1N THE PR0CESS AND 1 C0ULDNT W0RK SH1T 0UT S00NER. N0W WERE FUCKED. Y0U AND KURL0Z ARE FUCKED. EVERYTH1NG 1S FUCKED AND 1TS MY FAULT.”

Cronus sighed and pushed Mituna’s hand away from his mouth and cut off the growing tirade. “im the one wvhos sorry. iwve been the vworst kind of person since the accident. and that doesnt ewven include howv often i took my frustration out on you vwhen you couldnt understand vwhat vwas going on.”

“DUDE, 1D BE P1SSED AT ME T00. WE HAD A CHANCE T0 SAVE 0UR GAME AND 1 RAN 0FF L1KE AN 1D10T 1NSTEAD 0F MEET1NG Y0U AT THE QUEST BEDS 0N DERSE.”

“its not stupid to run off to your moirail vwhile he’s hawving an emotional meltdown. especially vwhen that moirail is a self-harming owverreactor. its not like vwe knewv it vwould vwork like i thought. you vwere the one wvho could hear the horror terrors, not me.”

“H0PE PLAYERS AREN’T SUPP0SED T0 HEAR 0R SEE THE PRED1CT10NS S0 THEY HAVE EN0UGH D0UBT T0 H0PE THE S1TUAT10N W1LL END D1FFERENTLY. THEN 1 BLEW 1T BY FUCK1NG UP BAD EN0UGH T0 K1LL THE H0PE.”

“ok4y! b3for3 you r4d boyz g3t stuck 1n 4 bl4m3 cl41m loop, l3t’s just s4y you both d1d som3 fuck3d up sh1t 4nd mov3 on w1th th3 show,” Latula said, crouching down next to them.

“vwell, yeah, that much is obvwious,” Cronus said. “but i vwas vworse.”

“cro th3r3 w3r3 d4ys wh3n 1 w4nt3d to str4ngl3 h1m b3c4s3 of th3 4cc1d3nt. 4nd 1 p1ty 3v3ry r4d f1b3r of h1s b31ng. you two h4t3d 34ch oth3r B3FOR3 th3 4cc1d3nt so 1 dont know why you 3xp3ct3d 1t to b3 d1ff3r3nt aft3r,” she said. “4lso unt1l kurbrozk1 g3ts b4ck from mop3 town 1m not go1ng to l3t you two st4rt f1ght1ng.”

Latula grinned, showing her fangs and her eyes widened behind her red rectangular glasses.

Cronus caved at the signs of aggression. “meenah vwent after him vwith damara once kankri told us vwhat vwas happening vwith him, por, and aranea. shell bring them back ewven if she has to burn dowvn half the towvn to do it. and dont you blame yourself for me and kurloz, he pushed he avway all on his owvn owver a vwhite shirt.”

“WA1T REALLY? THAT S0UNDS MADE UP.” Mituna said, glaring at the seadweller he still straddled.

“its a long story,” Cronus said. “ill catch you up on it vwhile you get your boney ass off me and start vwalking to turn in your honey.”

“0H SH1T, 1 ST1LL HAVE MY H0NEY CASE 0N!”

Mituna shoved himself to his feet, digging Cronus in the sides with his knees as he did so, and slung down the large box he carried on his back down to check his haul.

Latula laughed and offered an apologetic hand to Cronus to help him up. Cronus accepted the offer, swallowing down his ire in favor of preserving their seed of peace.


	8. Turned Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meenah fights against the last few holdouts from her big reunion.

The unmistakable aura of fear and death wafted through the filthy streets of Madcap, the poorest and most dire slum outside of Three Ring City. Meenah and Damara shared a glance before squaring their shoulders and walking brusquely into their first true Alternian city. Even the diverse Feeding Port, the obviously named town they had arrived in, did not carry this same weight of malodor and platonic hatred.

Meenah had reaffixed her scale to her shoulder and it acted like a beacon to the shifty eyes that lined the streets. Or perhaps, like in many of the low and midblood towns they had passed before, it was the sight of an heiress walking shoulder to shoulder with an unbanded burgundy. In truth, both held attention, and, if she possessed the power to snake out into the minds of those around her and pull the threads of their thoughts into her knowledge, the fuchsia might have realized a blooming curiosity in the hearts of her lowest observers.

Alongside the seeds of unrecognized hope were waves of disgust, terror, hatred also pointed at the pair. Yet few clowns slunk around the slums, bottles of booze or bloodstained jars in their claws, and no one lower would be stupid enough to dare take on even one so young who ranked so high above them. Meenah tried to fight the thrill that shook through her spine as the thought crossed her pan that she would not be questioned once if she were to slay any of them on the spot.

Damara tapped her arm as they approached their first den, startling a new thought to the front of the seadweller’s mind. No one would question, except her friends. Grounded, the girls entered the smoky, dark building to scan for who they had come into this hive of iniquity after.

An hour and twelve murky, acrid holes later they found the right place. Full of ceruleans and a light spattering of those higher, three faces stood out stationed around the floor table where a dice game was being played. They were spaced wide apart on ratty cushions, and hardly a glance passed between them, but every twitch and blink were a sign.

Damara cut away to Porrim, the closest of the three, and sat facing out, back to back with the jade who quietly hummed a greeting. Meenah crossed around the table and sat in an empty spot right up against Kurloz, her knee touching his, rolling her fin in greeting when she felt eightfold vision land on her face. The next round was called and she threw down a paltry sum to buy herself in.

Low chatter and the clatter of dice and coin were all that sounded as a steady pile began to build up in Meenah’s favor.

“DO YOU PLAN, ON THIS WRETCHED NIGHT, TO FEED MY AURAL CLOTS WITH WHAT YOU CAME TO SAY, WICKED SISTER, OR DO YOU MEAN TO MAKE ME THINK YOU’RE ONLY HERE TO STEAL AWAY MY WINNINGS?” Kurloz growled dangerously after she had snatched away his seventh win in a row.

“shore eel tell you cant blame a beach for working up her bling when she has the time im disgustinly low witout my boons an unlike some trolls i aint had a night off til i was shore not a one of my own were out in harms way”

The slightest twitch traveled up her leg where it touched the clown’s.

“HOW IS IT THAT I AM MORE LIKE TO BELIEVE YOU A DANGER THAN A HELP TO THOSE YOU DEIGN TO CLAIM AS YOURS?”

“cant say clownfish it shore as shell aint seadwellers runnin round razin crops and krillin farmers”

“MY TRUE KIN ARE OUT HARVESTING THEIR TRAITOROUS HIDES AND KEEPING SAFE THE GRAND SISTER’S OWN SANCTUARY.”

“and if i found you there this beach wouldnt be here callin you out as it is you gonna fall down at their feet for keeping safe your morayeel while you sat pretty in a drug den castin lots”

Kurloz let out a low growl that caused several eyes to dart towards them. It cut off when a sharp pin pushed its way into his thigh, sinking down to the round black tip.

“dont start actin feral now you made your choices an if you didnt want the baddest beach in all of space time to come drag you back like a day old catch then you shoulda thought on it afore you let tuna triggerfish an everfin else down”

“I PUT IN WORD ON KANKRI’S BEHALF. DON’T THINK I DID NOT TAKE MEASURES TO SEE THAT MY KIN WOULD NOT TRY TO LURE HIM AND STEAL HIS VIBRANT PAINT.”

“so you went as far to chat up your school but didnt bother swimmin out yourshellf”

“THE MINUTE MY VOODOOS GRACED THIS PLANET’S FOUL ATMOSPHERE I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO TO THE BIG TOP AND PAY TRIBUTE. I’D ASSUME THE SAME OF YOU WITH THIS PAST FEEDING DAY SINCE YOU’RE HOLDING ON TO YOUR MIGHTY STANCE.”

“whale no shit i went to my lusus an if you aint been able to tell she sent me off with a gift just dont have a fuckin anemonism over the color”

Kurloz turned his head until he could see the top of the hard, white object on her back.

“DO YOU EXPECT ME TO KNOW WHAT I’M LOOKING AT, MOTHERFUCKER?”

Meenah scoffed. “every drunken highblood to every grovelin lowblood knows its one a her scales for all the effort we put in to bring this world back she acknowledged me as her new favorite an the next empfish”

Not even his pristine paint could hide the way Kurloz’s eyes widened and his pusher stopped. It lasted only a second, but it was not lost on anyone closely observing him.

“WELL, HAVE YOU A GRAND MERRY TIME WITH THAT, SISTER BITCH. I CANNOT SAY I WOULD HAVE MADE THE CHOICE BUT IT IS OUTSIDE OF MY CLAWS BOTH NOW AND ALWAYS.”

“would you shut up alreedy wit your flowery clown speak an quit playin like you aint commin home wit us and you aint rulin these painted fucks alongside me” Meenah said, her fins lowering aggressively as her patience began to wear thin.

“NO, BUT MY HIGHEST SISTER IS A GOOD AND GENTLE TROLL. YOU’D HAVE BETTER LUCK LETTING HER EXPERIENCE RUN ALONGSIDE YOU. LEAST A WAYS I SHALL NOT BE THE ONE TO CALL HER DOWN WITH MY UNWORTHY CLAWS,” Kurloz said, his knuckles turning pale as he dug claws into his knee.

“cut that out buoy why you think i used a glubbin pin tunas gonna have enough to deal wit on your hide after you spent two weeks out here wallowin in ya own misery” Meenah knocked his hand loose. “an she may be good but shes far too soft if she cant hold her collection tight enough to quell even the notion of the shit they be pullin”

“I’M ONLY GOING TO WARN ONCE YOUR HERETICAL ASS FROM SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE HIGHEST SISTER.”

Meenah scoffed. “you shore that aint lil callie cause i know that sister an her twin so if youre in her service you cant play like i dont got no belief in them i get they real even if i also get they aint no higher than us or our ancestors and descendants”

“THE GRAND HIGH PRIESTESS ISN’T ONE I CAN LAY CLAW AGAINST.” The smallest hint of pained desperation passed his lips.

“did you lose your will afore meetin her or because of it” Meenah asked. “an if you reely took to this one just ask calliope to take her gently for you and crash through the others instead”

Kurloz sat silently. Meenah sighed.

“just swim back tonight wit us we got everyone back together then make your call”

“AIN’T A SINGLE MOTHERFUCKER TRULY WANTS TO SEE THIS MESS. IF I WAS NOT VITAL TO THE PROCESS, THEY’D HAVE LEFT ME IN THEIR DREAMS. MY SERVICE IS THEIR GREATEST BANE.”

“get off you high seahorse an stop actin like you the biggest shot a us all” Meenah slipped the pin back out of his leg, causing enough of a disturbance to make him jolt. “aint like i didnt cause just as much shit as you aint like horse and wings didnt carry most of it on they backs now i got damara on strong wit me an horse got that pale thing going wit meulin so fine they can talk down a fight afore it can come to blows”

“SHE STILL ON DIAMONDS WITH HIM?”

“course more than cronus or i would have thought turns out bein able to )(-EAR someone helps”

She pushed emphasis so fluidly into that word and relished how his ear flicked as he nibbled on her bait.

Meenah leaned in close to his ear and let her voice turn airy and husky as each damp syllable tickled the starts of vestigial fins that lined the outside of the appendage and sent a shiver down his spine. “kitty cat told me to tell you shes dyin to hear your voice again an im gonna say tuna eels the same”

Meenah pulled in another round, decimating what funds Kurloz had left on the table, and pulled out of the game entirely.

A wet breath escaped from Kurloz as he cashed out as well.

“FINE. I WON’T MAKE A PROMISE THAT I’LL STAY, AS I STILL SAY I WON’T, BUT I’LL SHOW MY FACE ONE LAST TIME.”

“fin if you give me this eel let ya make the call”

Porrim and Aranea pulled out shortly after and all five pushed back out into the night air.

“are you gonna beach about goin back” Meenah asked Aranea once they were standing away from the establishment.

“Well, that would 8e rather pointless at this moment, wouldn’t you say?”

Meenah gave a derisive puff. “whole motherglubbin bit was pointless but at least you aint gonna give me shit now lets go”


	9. Difficult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meulin and Horuss aren't looking for anyone, confident that their friends are all found safely. They probably should have paid more attention to Kankri's directions, though.

Horuss and Meulin followed the dirt road north, focusing more on a slow walk together as opposed to searching for anyone. Knowing their friends were accounted for took the burden of seeking off their shoulders and allowed them to focus on some of the scenery of their new home.

“Horuss, can I ask mew a question?” Meulin asked, breaking their amicable silence.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Yes, of horse. Anything,” Horuss replied as they came to a stop under a lone tree at the top of a hill.

Meulin looked down towards the ground and pressed her knuckles together while hugging her arms to her chest. “Did I go too fur today? This efurning, during the argument?”

“(; Ò ? Ó) < What do you mean? I thought you handled it perfectly.”

Meulin looked up, her presence still drooping. “Are mew fur sure? I didn’t come off pale?”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Not in the slightest! I canter imagine why you would foal as much. As Ampora said at the time, if anything, it seemed something of an ashen advance. However, if you had been attempting to project a pale aura in the heat of the emergency, that would be understandable. Beforian culling practices taught that such actions are well suited to deescalating violent situations and it would be foalish of me to insist that only a highblood should be permitted to take such liberties.”

“Horuss…” Meulin only frowned further at the reply. “Furiendship isn’t culling.”

“(;;; Ò Д Ó;) < Of horse, I am not intending to imply as much.” He began to flounder and fidget. “And I am aware the culling system was less than desirable for near all involved. Perhaps what I mean is, that hidden within the system is something that cud be applied positively within the confines of a friend group and that we should, as a herd, not shy away from to prevent any of our before %perienced tragedies from replaying themselves. Also, I should say that I would not, at any point, want you to feel stabled by my habitation of your diamond and will not quarter off your ability to see other quadmates whenever you so choose.”

It seemed like he was preparing to spout further ramblings, causing Meulin to raise a gentle hand to his lips. The contact caused him to jump and refocus his eyes on her from where they had begun to wander as large beads of sweat rolled off his brow.

“Mew believe that I pity mew, right?”

As she didn’t remove her hand, Horuss could only nod.

“(^ŏ ω ŏ^) And mew know I don’t want any ofur meowrail, right?” she asked, moving her hand around to pap his cheek, steadying it. “I’m going to be right by mewr side.”

Horuss released a heavy breath and let his eyes fall shut. “(; = ^ =) < Thank you. I am, admittedly, a bit stressed in this place surrounded by murderous adults who may match my STRENGTH seeing as how I have stifled it so long. I fear I may fail to protect who I care about, and would prefer internal disputes handled as quickly as possible.”

“Mew don’t have to do it paw mewrself, mew know?”

He nodded. “(; = ^ =) < As I said, you handled the situation perfectly tonight. I merely hoofed in to halter Ampora from beginning his bad habit. I look forward to having the entire herd together again so I might close my eyes more often.”

Horuss slowly blinked his eyes open, finding Meulin smiling brightly up at him before hugging him.

“(^#•ω•#^) I’m glad mew can close them with me.”

He let his face lean into her wild curls. “(; Ó Д Ò ) < I trust that you are watching.”

“<> Pale for mew.”

“(;@Ó Д Ò@) < And I for you.”

With lighter pushers the pair continued on their walk hand in hand, letting the stillness of the open fields soothe their worries for a time.

The light sound of pan pipes floating on the breeze caught their attention and turned them towards a cluster of coniferous trees with an uncountable herd of grub steers grazing lazily below. An involuntary shudder shot down Horuss’ spine as they neared the source of the music.

Up in the branches of the tree sat Rufioh, leaning against the trunk as he played his instrument. His hair still held the red dye and the ripping on his pants also held the shade. His red shirt and wings were hidden away from sight beneath an old indigo sweater.

“(; Ó Д Ò) < I guess that is why Vantas is having trouble keeping track of him,” Horuss commented.

Before he could stop her, or indeed before he realized he should, Meulin had ducked down to the ground, picked up a rock and hurled it up at the distracted musician.

“yo! what the h*ll?” Rufioh squawked when the projectile made contact with his arm.

He flailed and dropped his pipes as he was knocked off balance. He managed to latch onto the branch before peering wide-eyed down at the ground to see who had disturbed him. When he saw his very sweaty ex-boyfriend standing next to his very livid moiral, Rufioh’s startled expression managed to become almost terrified.

“o-oh… hey dolls… what’s up?” He attempted to sound casual.

“Mew’re up! Why the furick are mew in Horuss’ sweatfur? Are mew planning on starting shit? Huh? Do mew think I’ll let you walk all ofur him again?” Meulin shouted loud enough to disturb a colony of bats into the air with piercing cries.

Horuss grabbed onto her shoulder, scooping her back towards his chest and looping an arm around her middle as she ejected her claw gloves and looked like she might intend to climb the tree.

“(; Ó Д Ò) < Meulin, please, I am sure there is an explanation.”

She huffed but continued to glare up at the quivering bronze blood.

“r1ght, 1 can expla1n…” Rufioh said once they were both quiet. “1’m not try1ng to cause problems… l1ke at all… but 1 mean, 1t’s cold out and a l*wblood l1ke me gets cold eas1ly… 1 don’t have my own sweater and well…. w1th how l1m1ted money 1s, 1t seemed l1ke a waste to spend 1t buy1ng one. so, um… also m1tuna has latula and kankr1 says near the group, but 1’m out here alone so… there’s that.”

“Mew could have given it to Kankri and wore the poncho!” Meulin snapped. “He needs it moar than mew!”

“(; Ó Д Ò) < Please, Meulin…”

“No! I’m furious about this!”

Rufioh let himself down from the tree and began to pull at the contested item. “um… now that you’re here, 1 can take 1t off… 1 understand why she’s upset.”

“(;;; Ó Д Ò) < No need,” Horuss said, placing his hand over Meulin’s mouth, and entire lower face, to prevent her from objecting. “It is absolutely chilly and I would not want a cold galloping throughout the herd due to a compromised immune system. It was also a wise decision to use it as a method of protection in this h*ckish world. I bear no ill will over it and give my permission to continue using it until you have your own or a new quadmate’s to wear.”

Rufioh’s posture relaxed, sniffing away a watery mist threatening to fall. Still, he avoided eye contact as he burrowed deeper into the folds of the fabric.

“thanks. 1 really, really apprec1ate 1t.”

Sweat torrenting down his face mirrored his bleeding heart for his newly humbled ex. “(;;; Ó Д Ò;)< of horse, safety is paramount.” The words choked out of a tightened throat.

Meulin pushed out of the too tight grip holding onto her, scowling but not about to prolong the interaction by letting herself get ramped up again.

“Mew should talk to Meenah, she gave Damara a ring fur her thumb,” Meulin said, a grumpy growl in her voice. “Also meet at the docks afur mewr shift. Efuryone will be there.”

Rufioh nodded. “thanks. sorry aga1n…”

Meulin huffed and grabbed Horuss’ hand, leading him past the wilting playboy. As they passed, their shoulders brushed lightly.

Rufioh shuddered as a familiar darkness opened up around him, cool and hidden and all-consuming. It was gone in an instant, leaving him scrambling back into the tree after swiping up his fallen pipes.

Horuss ached as a heat wild, driving, infuriating blew into him. A squeeze on his hand stilled his heart and quelled the drive that may have once caused him to turn back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for 14 kudos and over 150 hits! I think I've mentioned my Tumblr here before (same name but no underscores). You should come check it out. I'm doing a drawing challenge and would love if you dropped me a character name and expression in my inbox!  
Thank you as always for reading!


	10. Under One Roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone shows off their excellent behaving skills as they decide as a group where to spend the day and begin preparations for dinner.

The night grew boisterous as daylight approached at the docks of South Calli. In ones and twos the group reformed on the deck of Future Hope; laughing, talking, shaking hands, and hugging as the reality of being together began to sink in.

Lips were worried by claws and fangs as adults and wrigglers alike bordered the area in the shadows to watch the colorful group grow louder and bolder as their numbers increased. When, at an hour to sunrise, the last five returned with an heiress and high-ranking clown in tow, the crowd disbursed to hide behind their locks and blackout curtains.

“sea i told ya id get em” Meenah said triumphantly even as an earsplitting squeal erupted from both Meulin and Mituna.

Kurloz felt his knees grow weak as a wall of warmth pounced on him, his resolve to leave the group behind dissolving under a mist of teary laughter and kind words.

“Well, n9w that that has 6een res9lved, thank y9u Meenah and Damara, perhaps we c9uld decide h9w best t9 spend the day. 9ur l9dgings are still paid f9r t9day, th9ugh it’s 9nly a 9ne r99m place. It still may pr9ve m9re private than the d9cks,” Kankri noted.

“w3’v3 m4n4g3d 1n cr4mp3d cond1t1ons so f4r,” Latula said, wiping at her eyes as she watched her matesprit reunite with his pale half. “4nd y34h th3 bo4t looks sm4ll3r.”

“you cant really stand up straight in the deck house, so maybe put that off for the first night,” Cronus agreed.

“oh then afore we go” Meenah shoved her way through the group to approach the door to below decks. “you still in here guppy”

“Yes ma’am,” their small boat guardian stuck his head out of the hatchway.

“where you stayin today kid” she asked, spotting a raccoon dog poking a watchful eye around his ward.

“Um… I don’t know. The vegetable stall owner usually doesn’t mind if I sleep in his display box as long as I’m out by business hours,” the six-sweep-old said. “Um… can I maybe go soon? I want to try to get some food before the sun comes out.”

Meenah scowled, turning her head away when a flinch from the child made her realize her mistake. “go get some grub were stayin ashore today if you come back well pay you more to sleep here and keep it safe until evenin”

His eyes lit up and he rocketed from below decks with rushed thanks, stumbling over his feet as he sped off so as to not waste a second of his benefactor’s time. His short legged lusus scampered behind, delivering confused and alarmed hisses as it went, presuming some sort of danger was eminent.

“YOU SCARED HIM.” Damara scolded.

“told him he could stay here overday” Meenah corrected. “whos got the spare sleepin stuff”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < I have them,” Horuss said, calling the bedroll out of his sylladex. “Would it be considered inappropriate to leave a few niceties as well?”

He cast an uncertain glance in Kankri’s direction.

“If y9u mean s9ap, y9u may need to explain what it is,” Kankri replied. “Standard health practices that we are familiar with have not caught 9n, in this c9mmunity at least.”

“It’s better than Madcap by a lo+ng mile,” Porrim commented. “I wo+uldn’t be surprised if a plague o+f so+me so+rt cro+ps up there befo+re lo+ng.”

“1n that case, maybe we spl1t up and start showers?” Rufioh suggested, skin crawling. “1t uh… m1ght make less of a st1r that way too.”

“It’s too late fur that,” Meulin said, eyeing the handful of vigilant observers remaining. “Mew’re paw going to have to get used to it, at least until we get somewhere with moar highbloods.”

“PFT WE HAVE T0 GET USED T0 1T PER10D. N0 0NE RUNS AR0UND 1N PACKS 0F TWELVE N0T EVEN CL0WNS.” Mituna said.

“whale since it aint look like they can even make sure a guppy aint sleepin in a box overday cant say im surprised” Meenah said. “oh look there he comes”

Breathless with a small loaf of bread, a last call hunk of cooked grub loaf, and a few apples in his arms, the boy came running back up to the ship.

“I’m back! Sorry if I took too long!” he said between gasps of air.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < It is quite alright. I have something for you to sleep on and a few gifts alongside your payment as thanks for agreeing to this last minute.”

A few gentle explanations later and the group migrated away from the pier, stepping boldly past the whispering clusters of townsfolk too confused to fear being caught staring.

“…and she’s the new selected?” Meenah’s fin twitched, guiding the gossip closer to her aural sponge clots. “What does this mean?”

“I can’t say,” another answered. “Maybe nothing if they die off before she takes over.”

“Shh… if she does but don’t let them here you blaspheme the current empress!”

“Ain’t never been a scaled that didn’t take control. And ain’t like no highblood ain’t ever entertained they low hatchmates and moved on after.”

“And how many scalings have you been present for, rust blood? And are you the highblood expert? Certainly nothing like this has been seen before.”

Meenah grinned as an idea came to her. _this gives a bad beach a killer marketing scheme_

The apartment was on the ground floor, the door opening on a dark, cold room with an unlit wood stove in one corner, a low table with straw cushions towards the center, and a sleeping mat on the other side big enough to hold two comfortably but four if you needed. Two doors lined the back wall, one to a primitive hand pump ablution room, with a basin containing a fire chamber below for those who could afford the luxury of a heated bath, and the other to the small block with another sleeping mat, a dressing screen in the far corner, and just enough room to get a ship’s bedroll spread out on either side.

“its not so bad, vwell fit,” Cronus commented as he scanned the room.

Porrim made it first to the stove, striking the fire to life. She looked down at the wood pile afterwards and sneered. “Is this all the fire wo+o+d? I tho+ught we had mo+re this evening.”

“1 put some 1n the bath,” Rufioh said. “1 d1dn’t l1ght 1t, but 1 th1nk 1t’s pretty 1mportant…”

“So+ is fo+o+d,” Porrim said. “A co+ld wash o+ff o+nce wo+n’t kill anybo+dy.”

“P9rrim, while that may be true, the rear 6l9ck is very frigid with9ut running the 6asin. Are y9u certain there isn’t en9ugh?”

“dont get ya leggins in a bunch none a you” Meenah said. “point me at it an ill get more want ta see aboat gettin so fins for a cake anywave”

“1’ll go w1th,” Latula offered as she looked about her milling companions as they struggled to settle into the close space. “1’m not on cook1ng duty ton1ght.”

“aw, come on, are we st1ck1ng to the same schedule w1th everyone here?” Rufioh wilted as the pair left back out the door.

“I’ll help, when do+n’t I, but yo+u’re no+t getting o+ut o+f it.”

“I can help too!”

“(; = ^ =) < Meulin.”

“m(^ o ω u ^)m I just want to help! It’s a lot of food.”

Meulin smiled sweetly as she skipped over to join them. Horuss sighed, wondering if insisting would make more of a scene than letting it go.

“I AM MISSING OUT ON EVERYTHING, WHAT IS THE MOTHERFUCKING ISSUE?” Kurloz asked as he traced over new lines of tension. “ALSO AREN’T THE TWO OF YOU THROUGH? WHY DOES HE HAVE YOUR SWEATER?”

Horuss sighed. “(;; ≧^≦;) < Our relationship status remains the same. I lent him that sweater ages ago. Lacking his own, and in light of the dangers to those in the BOUY part of the spectrum in this pasture, he used it for warmth and protection.”

“I ap9l9gize if it is excessively triggering,” Kankri said. “N9ne 9f us felt we had the right t9 c9mmand him t9 rem9ve it, given the circumstances.”

“(; = ^ =) < I am not angry. I understand foally and gave him permission to continue until he had an alternative that made him feel equinely secure. Meulin, on the other hoof, if quite ready to tear into him over it.”

Mituna scoffed as he draped himself over Kurloz’s back as he stood, boosting himself just enough to lay his chin between the other’s horns. “DUH THATS WHAT M0IRAILS D0. ALS0 F1SH FACE Y0U ARE C0VERED 1N MUD.”

“gee, i fucking vwonder vwhy,” Cronus said as he unclipped his cape and stared sullenly at the large imprint along the back.

“1TS 0N Y0UR SH1RT T00.”

Cronus clicked his tongue as he craned his neck around too look. “you did that on purpose, didnt you, runt? theres no way im getting that stain out vwithout proper detergent.”

Mituna stuck out his tongue. “Y0U CANT PR0VE ANYTH1NG.”

Kankri cleared his throat, and Cronus caught his tongue in response.

“vwell, vwith evweryone back together i suppose i dont need it as my calling card anymore,” he said.

“WHAT CALLING CARD?” Kurloz asked.

Everyone began to recall why their clown companion felt the need to sew his lips shut in order to carry out a vow of silence.

“look, most evweryone kept their same outfit on as much as they could, but skinny jeans dont make for good mowvement vwhile out hunting. on top of that, my ancestor drilled into me that you hawve to present yourself at your finest to be taken seriously, and i suspect thats double here especially on your owvn, vwhich i vwas before i ran into meenah and damara.” Cronus went from loud and rigid to grumbling and slouched as his explanation carried on. “i had to put the cape and the jewvels back on, but i vwanted something to be the same so no one got the vwrong idea.”

“A valid idea,” Kankri interjected, not allowing any other input. “And an admira6le thing t9 c9nsider. This transiti9n hasn’t 6een easy 9n any9ne, and it 9nly t99k ab9ut five minutes 9f talking t9 the 9ther w9rkers t9 get a sense 9f what y9u must have 6een thr9ugh up t9 this p9int.”

Cronus gave a small smile. “thanks, kankri. im going to step owver into the room and change, ok?”

“9f c9urse. I’ve 6een meaning t9 put my sweater 6ack 9n n9w that we’re in f9r the day. It’s 9n the mat in there, d9 y9u mind if I f9ll9w in t9 gra6 it?”

Cronus’ raised an eyebrow. _is this some kind of test?_ “no problem vwith me if you’re good with it.”

“There’s a partiti9n,” Kankri said. “And, as menti9ned, it is frigid in that r99m, we w9n’t want t9 dawdle.”

Without further question, Cronus walked towards the farther door, doing his best not to seem over eager or anything else that might cause Kankri to change his mind.

“1F THEY D0NT K1SS THERE 1S N0 JUST1CE LEFT IN THE W0RLD.”

“w3’r3 b4ck!!!”

“NEVER M1ND, THERE SHE 1S.”


	11. Plans Over Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's no better time than dinner to plot your takeover of a planet, or at least the cafe market of a large city.

A small, scratched, and cloudy mirror hung on the solid wooden wall of the frigid block. Cronus turned and observed the stain as best he could, scowling as he saw it was a very discernible hand print.

“can vwe just cut to the chase and call this a black advwance?” he asked Kankri who stood rigid just beside the closed door.

“I w9uld rather y9u have a pr9per c9nversation if y9u plan t9 reignite y9ur kismissitude (f9r every9ne’s sake and clarity) 6ut yes, that d9es seem t9 6e a 6latant pitch gesture,” Kankri replied.

“youre right. tulip seemed cool vwith it but theres the clowvn hurdle to get past. aint about to hawve him dowvn my neck: the kitten and bug are going to be hard enough to deal vwith.”

Kankri let out a beleaguered sigh. “I supp9se I sh9uld 6e glad her relati9nship with H9russ is d9ing s9 well after its un9rth9d9x start; th9ugh I admit, I was h9ping we c9uld all av9id new c9nflicts f9r a time.”

Cronus gave a dry chuckle as he summoned some shirts from his sylladex. “come on, vwe all knowv meenah doesnt hawve to get invwolved for us to find trouble.”

“Indeed.”

Kankri meandered towards the bed mat and picked up his blood red sweater. He fiddled with the hem of it, eyes glazed over as he thought.

“Cr9nus, are y9u w9rried ab9ut h9w the 9thers, specifically Kurl9z and Mituna, will treat y9u g9ing f9rward regarding y9ur feelings 9f 6eing a human? I d9 n9t wish t9 pry, 6ut I als9 w9uld n9t want f9r things pertaining t9 this subject t9 get t99 far 9ut 9f hand; ign9red until things escalate int9 s9me s9rt 9f fight. I plan 9n asking H9russ as well, seeing as he has a different, 6ut still similar, altered view 9f the self.”

_theres the kanny from the last fewv millennia._ “hey, its alright.” Cronus silenced the growing rant. “look, ill be honest vwith you, im not vworried about that stuff right nowv. humanity is ages and lightyears avway, probably vwont see or hear from another one in my span. so, iwve been thinking, talking to mostly horuss but meenah a bit too, and maybe the best vway forvward is to just figure out howv i fit here and make that vwho i am. still like to vwear vwhite, though.”

“I see.” Kankri’s expression only deepened.

Cronus floundered. “okay, ill admit, im talking out of my ass a bit. im no closer to figuring this out than i vwas before. but i dont think theres much to do about kur. i fucked up vwith him vwhen i kept taking my shit out on yellowv jacket ewven after the accident. him focusing on my newv image is just his vway of expressing howv much he hated me in the platonic sense.”

“It d9esn’t explain h9w it ties in t9 the c9l9r white. I never underst99d that.” Kankri shrugged off the poncho and slid his sweater over his head.

“vwhites the color of my aspect, the aspect that could hawve helped ewveryone if i hadnt failed, and the antithesis to his rage. makes for a nice, vwell-rounded vway to reject all the different parts. hey, vwhich shirt should i vwear?”

Cronus held up a solid black shirt with his sign embroidered in small stitching on the left breast, and a long-sleeved black shirt with a larger imprinting of the violet marks.

“In all h9nesty, I 6elieve I’d prefer the 9ne y9u purchased right 6ef9re the game. Y9u were very excited a69ut it, 6ut never had the chance t9 wear it.”

Cronus tilted his head, his fins twitching as he recalled.

“oh, you mean this one?”

Cronus ejected a shirt not among his current considerations. The tag was still pinned to the sleeve of the perfectly store-folded tee. The most prevalent shade was violet, with white and black patches and swirls not dissimilar to a tie dye look. The Aquarius symbol was emblazoned in striking white largely across the center.

Cronus grinned, looking over the piece for the first time in ages. “you think its okay?” 

“I 6elieve it will put t9 rest the idea 9f y9ur fashion sense inv9lving the c9l9r white 6eing a wh9lly human derived fad. It is als9 imp9rtant t9 6e c9mf9rta6le with what y9u are wearing. What is far less 9kay, and s9mewhat triggering, is t9 reject s9me9ne’s self.”

“thanks, i appreciate it.” Without thinking, Cronus stripped off the muddy piece of cloth and donned the shirt in question. “also, you gotta admit, it suits me vway better.”

Kankri rubbed at his temple as the dressing screen in the corner remained unutilized. “It d9es.” Kankri scanned his eyes over the shirt that was a bit tighter than before the perigees spent milling around a game to save the universe.

He brushed his eyes up to the other’s face, spotting an out of place lock of hair that he automatically reached to correct. “Th9ugh, I must admit, I d9 prefer y9ur hair ungreased and the piercings in.”

A blush fanned out from fin to fin. “thanks, chief. meenah said the same thing, just not as nicely. maybe ill try keeping it down again.”

The solid bang of the front door pushing in and a round of greetings caused them both to jump.

“looks like theyre back,” Cronus said. “didnt realize i vwas taking so long. hope i didnt cause a scandal for you.”

Cronus flashed glistening white fangs in a playful grin. Kankri rolled his eyes, arms still crossed over his chest.

“N9 m9re than y9u claiming Meenah ‘st9le y9ur hug,’” he pronounced.

Cronus only grinned wider. “i never said she stole MY hug. that vwould be PRESUMPTUOUS. but hey, if youre offering.”

A blinding aura radiated off of Cronus making it that much easier for the Seer of Blood to see the thick lines that connected them to each other and to all the rest of their friends. Kankri didn’t even need to see them through to know which connected to who; no matter how they fluctuated, they remained near the same. It had confused and worried Kankri on more than one occasion.

With a sigh, Kankri focused for a second on that technicolor line between them, mostly pink with lesser quantities of red, grey, and even black woven into the mix. During especially rough points in their session, the black had grown. At the darkest of times, the pink had nearly drowned out each other shade. Now they were in that happy balance that had been set in place so many sweeps ago.

“awv, come on, i vwas only fooling around.” Cronus drooped as the silence stretched on and the discerning glare bored into his chest. “didnt mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“N9!” Kankri jumped at his own sudden shout. “I mean, I did n9t intend t9 pr9ject sc9rn, I was simply l9st in th9ught f9r a m9ment. After everything that has taken place, a hug in n9t 96jecti9na6le.”

“are you sure?” Cronus perked up, his facial fins fluttering out in excitement.

Kankri couldn’t help the flush that crossed his cheeks. “Yes, I’m sure. Just, please, d9n’t 6e as r9ugh as Meenah.”

Cronus chuckled before gently wrapping his arms around Kankri, nestling his face in locks of hair, still soft despite the dust and oil of long hours of labor. It took a moment, but Kankri’s arms unfurled, wrapping around Cronus. The seadweller’s heart fluttered, squeezing just a bit tighter while letting his eyes drift shut. He tried to convince himself he didn’t hear a small satisfied sigh escape in a warm puff of breath against his chest, but he failed.

“HEY 1M PRETTY SURE 1T D0ESNT TAKE TWENTY M1NUTES T0 CHANGE SH1RTS AND WH1LE WERE ALL PR0UD 0F WHATEVER RELAT10NSH1P PR0GRESS Y0URE MAK1NG 1N THERE D1NNER 1S READY.”

Kankri grumbled and pulled away. Cronus, beaming in a bright mood, chuckled.

“hey, at least hes articulate about his jokes nowv, right?”

Kankri gave a soft smile. “Yes, it is a g99d change 9f pace.”

The pair emerged from the room and directly into the waiting face of Mituna. His long bangs hung down, covering his mismatched eyes yet somehow failed to block his vision. It was odd to see him without the helmet, though as the group staying in South Calli knew, it wasn’t always off. He did need it far less than before, which was a relief to everyone.

“vwere you pressed against the door the vwhole time?”

“PFT N0. ALS0 WHERE D1D Y0U EVEN GET THAT SH1RT?”

“back on beforus from the department store,” Cronus said. “try not to ruin this one, vwill ya?”

“WELL 1TS LESS 0BN0X10US S0 1 GUESS 1LL LET 1T SL1DE.”

“Mituna.” Kankri’s voice was tired and aggravated.

“CH1LL THE 0THER 0NE WAS AN ACC1DENT. 1 D0NT CARE WHAT C0L0R SH1RT HE WEARS. ANYWAY LETS EAT.”

They joined the crowd of others approaching the stove to help themselves to food. It was first come first serve and each member did a hypervigilant job of neither pushing to the front or being caught deferring to anyone else. Only Meenah kept back entirely, stirring a bowl of cake batter.

She and Cronus made eye contact, both asking different silent questions and giving similar positive answers.

“it smells great, vwhat did you make?” Cronus asked as he reached the front of the line.

Porrim, sat on one of the few wooden chairs against the wall near the stove, replied, “Meatless chili, ro+asted grub flank, and bread.”

“They are g99d sized p9rti9ns, was it still disc9unted?” Kankri asked as he helped himself to a slice of meat. 

“It was and will co+ntinue to+ be fo+r no+w. It will rise drastically after a few mo+nths.”

“(；= v = )< Luckily, if my inventory list reigns true, I should have the materials necessary to craft a freezer hull, and horsepower it until I create a generator,” Horuss said, looking up from the plans he was sketching on the low table next to his bowl of chili. “It should prove %ceptionally useful.”

“That does sound like a solid plan,” Aranea commented from across the table. “Though, I would not 8egin any projects until we have found our permanent location. I could 8e incorrect, 8ut I feel it would 8e a 8it unsafe.”

“w3ll w3 c4n’t st4y h3r3, 4 group of clowns w3r3 p4rtol1ng th3 for3st tod4y 4nd 4ll but s41d th3y 3xp3ct th3 n4sty group to m4k3 th31r w4y h3r3 b3for3 much long3r 4ft3r k4nkr1.”

“DID THEY? WHEN DID YOU RECEIVE THIS ADVICE?” Kurloz asked.

“JUST T0DAY,” Mituna said as he plopped down between his quadmates a short distance away from the table. “THEY WERENT HERE T0 TELL US D1RECTLY BUT DEC1DED WE KNEW H1M BASED 0N BABES JACKET. ALS0 THE1R LEADER M1GHT MAYBE YELL AT Y0U A L1TTLE NEXT MEET1NG.”

Kronus frowned. “WHY WOULD A BROTHER BE MAD AT ME?”

“cause he implied you vwere awvoiding him and that ticked the other one off,” Cronus said, unable to stop himself as he claimed the last comfortably empty spot around the table.

“N0!” Mituna objected. “1 JUST ASKED 1F HE HAD SEEN Y0U 0R KNEW Y0U. HE JUST SA1D HED L00K F0R Y0U AND CHECK T0 SEE IF Y0U HAD MADE 1T T0 ME.”

“whale you aint gotta worry boat that no moor you can tell em you made the connection” Meenah said, joining the group with her own food after sliding dessert into the oven. “hey cro wheres your map at lets talk aboat this movin thing”

Cronus pulled his map, marked all along their journey, from his waist satchel. “vwe cant move far from the port city because of feeding day.”

“I CAN’T LEAVE THE BIG TOP BEHIND, EITHER,” Kurloz added.

“that l1m1ts our opt1ons…” Rufioh commented. “but um… somewhere clean would be n1ce.”

“We sh9uld als9 take the l9cal market int9 c9nsiderati9n.” Kankri appeared amazingly calm for hearing that a group of crop burning highbloods were on the way to turn him into jars of paint. “It sh9uld 6e s9mewhere we can set 9urselves up using 9ur different talents.”

“How are we going to make meowney?” Meulin asked. “We catn’t keep doing odd jobs.”

“HOW WE WILL AFFORD A PLACE TO STAY.” Damara questioned.

“w3’v3 b33n s4v1ng 4ll w3 could,” Latula said. “so f4r w3 scroung3d up thr33 p3r1g33s worth of d41ly r3nt h3r3. m1ght not b3 much 1n th3 c1ty, though.”

“SH0ULD WE G0 T0 A C1TY? WEVE BEEN D01NG WELL 0UT HERE,” Mituna asked.

“(；= v = ) < My particular skill set is more apt in a city. It could also be said that the larger the herd, the more hidden the horse. If we are to stay hidden for a time, a city may be the best choice.”

“Not to 8rag, 8ut we have accumulated a respecta8le sum of money in Madcap. Depending on where we relocate to, I 8eleive we might have enough to purchase a small property.”

“good cause we aint had much time to earn ourshellves” Meenah stated as she looked over the map. “ey why are some of the towns listed in green”

“THOSE ARE THE SUBURBS OF THE CAPITAL WHERE THE CLOWNS WHO MIND THE STREETS HOLD THE PRACTICE OF CALLIOPE DEAR. IF ALL WOULD AGREE TO IT, THAT MAY SERVE AS OUR OWN SANCTUARY.”

“whale which is the best”

Kurloz rolled his eyes. “THAT WHOLLY MOTHERFUCKING DEPENDS UPON HOW WE PLAN TO FUND OURSELVES.”

“We haven’t 8een doing poorly 8y gam8ling,” Aranea said.

“While it may 6e a m99t p9int, this 6eing Alternia, c9uld we make an attempt at least t9 av9id the s9rt 9f 9ccupati9n that sees m9re deaths than successes?”

“0H H0W AB0UT WE MAKE S0METH1NG SMALL HAVE PE0PLE PAY US T0 SELL 1T AT A PR0F1T 0R T0 FIND S0ME0NE ELSE T0 SELL 1T F0R THEM AND TH0SE TR0LLS ALS0 HAVE T0 PAY US.”

“Tro+lls were stabbed fo+r running pyramid schemes o+n Befo+rus.”

“We have purrty advance weapons compared to everyone, we could be assassins!!!”

“(;#⊙ ▱๋ ⊙!) < Meulin no.”

“WE CAN TRANSPORT ITEMS FOR SALE.” Damara offered.

“you’re talk1ng about smuggl1ng, aren’t you?”

Some in the group laughed, others sighed, and wilder suggestions flew between them. During the conversation, Meenah jumped up from the low table and ran back to the over, pulling out a perfectly baked cake that had filled the room with the scent of vanilla.

“howv about a café?” Cronus asked as he watched her happily set the dessert to cool.

“GET SER10US F1SH FACE,” Mituna said.

“h4ng on, b4b3z, h3 m1ght b3 on to som3th1ng,” Latula said. “wh4t k1nd of c4f3?”

“vwell, vwed hawve to choose a place and do some market research, but i think vwe could settle in a small shop. depending on vwhere vwe vwind up, vwe could provwide small treats, candies, trinkets, maybe ewven livwe entertainment. its something vwe could all contribute to.”

“TEA AS WELL.” Damara offered.

“(；= ? = ) < Would it be possible to have a workshop off the back?”

“I d9n’t see why n9t, it w9uld 6e 6eneficial t9 n9t 6e exclusive with 9ur income source.”

“MOG!!! This sound like a purrfect idea. Mew’re cleafur to think of it, Cronus,” Meulin said. “We could have themed nights, right?”

“YES.” Damara grinned. “IT IS A MUST.”

“IF WE ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE GOOD FOR SUCH AN ESTABLISHMENT, I WOULD SUGGEST WE LOOK INTO THE TWIN’S FAIRGROUND. I WOULD NORMALLY PAUSE TO RECOMMEND IT ON THE BASIS OF IT BEING THE LARGEST REGION OF THE OUTSKIRTS, A MOTHERFUCKING CITY IN ITS OWN RIGHT. BUT IT IS A SANCTUARY TOWN, THE HOME OF THE TWO LARGEST PUBLIC CLOWN FESTIVALS OF THIS WORLD.”

“I was n9t aware such festivities existed,” Kankri said. “Were they als9 9n 6ef9rus?”

“NO BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE NEW TO THIS CYCLE UPON THE SALVATION AND BALANCING OF THE CHERUB SIBLINGS. IN A FEW PERIGEES, WHEN THE AUTUMN REACHES ITS PEAK AND THE SPIRITS ARE AT THEIR CLOSEST, CALLIOPE’S FESTIVAL IS HELD. IT IS A DAY FOR PEACE BOASTING FOODS, TRINKETS, AND ENTERTAINMENT OPEN TO ALL TO ATTEND AND PERFORM. IT IS A TIME OF MERRIMENT AND SAFETY AND RESPECT FOR THE DEAD. CALIBORN’S FEST IS HELD IN EARLY SUMMER MONTHS: A DAY OF SPORTING AND THE GENTLER SIDE OF RIVALRY AND THE DARKER SIDE OF PITY.”

“clown fish you been holdin out” Meenah accused as she set the chocolate iced cake with a topping of chopped autumn fruit on the table and began to slice into it. “that sounds like the perfect reef for this school we can build up to that an make ourshellves known gotta get my name out there”

“don’t you th1nk w3 should w41t unt1l w3 4r3 sur3 th3y won’t com3 4ft3r k4nkr1?” Latula asked as she reached for the slice of cake she was handed.

“unfortunately, mowving towvns is as good as its going to get on that front,” Cronus said. “vwell just hawve to be careful and vwigilent.”

“That go+es witho+ut saying,” Porrim commented. “We have a distinct techno+lo+gical advantage o+ver everyo+ne else, which will o+nly strengthen o+nce we have a dedicated lo+catio+n. The real questio+n is what pro+ducts we’ll o+ffer.”

“cupcakes do beta than whole cakes” Meenah said as she helped herself to the last slice of cake after handing one to each of her friends. “an aside from chocolate an vanilla the types change wit the season”

“TEA IS DEPENDENT ON SEASON AND AVAILABILITY TOO.” Damara said. “WE MUST FIND A GOOD SUPPLIER.”

“I can make jewelry and pawhaps sketches if there is a meowrket for those,” Meulin commented.

“(；= v = ) < Though my mane focus shall be on repairing and creating machinery, I believe a few wind-up toys may be possible to market, at least at the festival.”

“H9nestly, I think that w9uld 6e useful all the time if we are in a mid t9 highbl99d area. I 6elieve marketing will pr9ve t9 6e the m9st difficult task as we have n9 c9nnecti9ns, internet, n9r a sta6le en9ugh infrastructure t9 pr9m9te a newspaper.”

“i got no glubbin clue but i know how to appeal to trolls for myshellf” Meenah commented as she called out a piece of paper and some old, worn colored pencils from her inventory. “i aint got a shell ton of time to get allies an fish out anemones if i do it right just that shelled help a little”

“WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PUT PEN TO PAPER FOR ANYTHING?” Kurloz asked as he looked over her shoulder at the design coming to life. “AND WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE TWINS DO YOU THINK YOU ARE MOTHERFUCKING DRAWING, FISH BITCH?”

“it aint gotta be pearly its just an outline so you get the picture also you beta clean out yoar ears cause i said its for lettin others know what im aboat”

“FOR ME? WHERE, PRAY TELL, DO YOU SEE ME BECOMING INVOLVED IN THIS?”

“its gotta be painted onto my scale and youre the paint motherfucker clownfish an dont try tellin me its blasphemous or nothin we all know the twins and they aint gettin fussed over this shit near as much as what you do”

Kurloz scowled, ire to the outside but a pout to those who knew him, before he grumbled, “YOU WOULD HAVE MORE LUCK DESCRIBING IT AS OPPOSED TO FORCING ME TO DECIPHER YOU CLUCK BEAST SCRATCH.”

Meenah passed him her drawing anyway, not nearly as bad as he was claiming, and dove into a verbal explanation for them all.

The emblem was round and colorful. All twelve colors and symbols were represented in the spectrum order, including Kankri’s. The Vantas’ wedge, however, was grey while his symbol was in red which was the opposite of all the other sections. This was due to alternating red and lime curved lines between each segment like thin leaves spiraling out past the multicolored petals of a cross-spectrum rose.

“That is a very sym8olic sign,” Aranea commented. “I 8elive it will send a very strong message that I hope more trolls will accept than reject.”

“don’t you th1nk 1t m1ght be a b1t heavy handed r1ght out of the gate, doll?” Rufioh asked. “l1ke an 1dea you spr1ng after you get people on your s1de?”

“Decepti9n w9uld 9nly attract the wr9ng s9rt 9f tr9ll and risk 9strasizing the 9nes wh9 might 9therwise rally t9 9ur cause. It is, in my 9wn 9ppini9n, a well c9nsidered way to make the idea accessible t9 a cr9ss spectrum audience.”

“We may kno+w Cal and Callio+pe, but o+thers do+n’t, and likely wo+n’t ever, kno+w that. So+ I think Kurlo+z’s o+pinio+n o+n whether o+r no+t o+ther clo+wns wo+uld find it o+ffensive sho+uld be taken into+ acco+unt,” Porrim said.

Kurloz’s expression had lost most of its bite and, when the rest turned his way, they noticed he had already created a much cleaner sketch of the design.

“THERE UNDOUBTEDLY WILL BE A GROUP OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO WILL NOT CARE FOR THE SYMBOL, I WILL NOT SUGAR COAT THAT FACT. THEY SHALL NOT HANDLE IT WITH THE FRIGID GLARES AND BUREAUCRATIC RAILING OF OUR OLD HOME EITHER. BUT AS WAS SO CLEARLY STATED BY CRONUS BEFORE, FINDING VIOLENT OPPOSITION IS A THING UNAVOIDABLE IN THIS BLOOD DRENCHED WORLD. AND FOR MY BLOOD KIN WHO ARE IN THE TRUE SERVICE OF THE PAIR, SUCH A BOLD DECLARATION OF THE BALANCE THEIR COEXISTENCE IS MEANT TO CONVEY BESIDE A DECLARATION OF YOUR OWN TRUE BELIEF IN THEIR BEING, AS GODS OR OTHERWISE, SHOULD BRING THEM TO YOUR SIDE.”

“(；= ^ = ) < While I whole hoofedly agree, I believe as well there is merit to the idea that too bold a move could ostracize trolls permanently. If there was anything to be learned from our observations of our alternate selves on the original Alternia, it should be that any galloping off away from the status quo will have STRONG neighative effects across the spectrum.”

“y34h, 1 w4s k1nd4 shock3d by th4t. but 1 gu3ss b31ng d34d 4lso t4ught us th4t onc3 you f1gur3 out 4 s4f3 w4y to l1v3, you don’t r34lly w4nt to r1sk ch4ng3,” Latula said, standing and starting to gather up the used dishes.

“D0NT W0RRY S0 MUCH,” Mituna said as he began to help her. “N0 0NE SA1D WE WERE G01NG T0 TURN EVERY0NES L1FE UPS1D0WN WERE JUST G01NG T0 TELL THEM WELL BE 0N EVERY0NES S1DE.” 

“I als9 feel it is w9rth p9inting 9ut that the way 9ur 9ther selves handled the issue was a 6it t99 exclusi9nary t9 reach the 6r9ad audience needed t9 successfully make the change,” Kankri said.

“THIS IS A FOOLISH CONVERSATION NOW. WE FOCUS ON OUR JOB. LATER WE FIGURE OUT THE PLANET.” Damara scolded.

“i agree,” Cronus said. “this planet is far different from that alternia anyvway. besides, its not like theres a rule saying vwe cant make adjustments as vwe go along.”

“right” Meenah agreed. “so anywave how does sleepin work in here”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tentatively back, why I've had so much trouble posting lately is on my Tumblr. I don't want to complain about it on every page so if you're really curious, it's the same as my name here but with no underscores. Thanks for sticking around while I go through this and have an extra long chapter because I couldn't find a good place to split it without making a very short chapter or forcing an awkward transition.


	12. Setting Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group says their final goodbyes to South Calli, give the residents a quick schooling, then set sail for Twin's Fairground to officially begin their new life.

The smell of fatty strips of meat sizzling in the early night coaxed Kankri out of a deep sleep. The impulse to rush to rise and prepare for another day of labor in the fields faded with the memory of the previous morning before he had managed to peel his eyes open. With no clamor to suggest more than Porrim and one other member of their group had risen, he allowed himself a small sigh and the luxury of relaxing into the weighty warmth of the front room’s mat.

A few moments of early evening bliss passed before a thought began to whisper in the back of his mind. Try as he might to shake it away and resume basking in the rare moment of peace in this savage world, he only managed to echo and build it to a more prominent place in his awareness that would not be satisfied until he caved and checked the validity of his observation. The covers, thick as they were, seemed a bit too uneven in their weightiness over his form and the atmosphere was snug to the boarder of being just on the edge of too warm, though a familiar feeling prevented it from crossing that line.

As his ocular orbs cracked open in the dim light of the cook fire, his nagging suspicion was confirmed. Both Meenah and Cronus, who had (through means Kankri still couldn’t quite comprehend beyond the faint memory of eager insistence and an embarrassing display of fluttering fins) convinced him to join their group of five in the front room during the sleeping spot allocation and stationed him between the pair of them on the main mat, were draped over him in varying ways.

There was no way to misconstrue the situation as romantic; both clearly deeply asleep and seeking warmth as had been typical behavior in all of his cooler blooded friends since their wrigglerhood. Cronus was lying face down, an arm flung carelessly over Kankri’s chest as he snored softly. Meenah, on the other hand, had at some point during the day pulled herself entirely under the covers and done a ninety-degree turn, casting her legs over Kankri’s middle and likely her upper half on top of Damara before she had risen to assist Porrim with breakfast.

The sight of her horns tenting the blanket over her face which fluttered against her slow breathing was enough to elicit a snorting half chuckle. He had given up finding a moment like this eons ago, before their game had even started. After all, friends don’t tend to share such quiet moments once _quadrants _start being a concern, right?

It made him glad he had made the decision so early on to deal with the haphephobia that had developed during his time in the dream bubbles.

_“MITUNA H9W MANY TIMES MUST I ASK Y9U T9 KEEP Y9UR HANDS T9 Y9URSELF!”_

_“H0W AB0UT 1 KEEP D01NG 1T UNT1L Y0U ST0P BE1NG AN ASSH0LE L0SER NERD B0Y!”_

_“m1tun4, b4b3, th1s w4s und3rst4nd4bl3 4t f1rst, but you’r3 r34lly push1ng th1ngs too f4r now 4nd m4k1ng h1m uncomfort4bl3 1n 4 r34lly unr4d s1tu4t1on.”_

_“N0! WHY THE FUCK 1S EVERY0NE S0 FUCK1NG F1NE W1TH TH1S?” _

_“1 mean… 1t’s k1nda a matter of h1s body, h1s cho1ce dude…”_

_“N0 1TS A MATTER 0F H1M ACQU1R1NG AN EVEN B1GGER ST1CK T0 SH0VE UP H1S FUCK1NG ASS! 1 D1DNT LET MY PAN MELT 0UT 0F MY SKULL T0 C0ME BACK T0 SH1TTY BEEF AND N0T BE1NG ALL0WED T0 T0UCH MY FR1NDS.” _

So perhaps it hadn’t been exclusively or even primarily his decision to start the process. Between the frequent arguments and the gradual realization that even in situations where he wanted a comforting touch, he could not receive it without jumping and feeling traitorous tears brimming in his eyes while his stomach turned, Kankri had decided it would be beneficial to attempt exposure therapy.

It had started small, twenty minutes of ranting about the existence of platonic affection to twenty seconds of hand holding with Porrim before his skin felt like it would burst into flames. It graduated to sitting a few minutes back to back with Rufioh before jumping up to walk around the small unit, then to lacing his fingers with Latula’s long enough to recite the words of a distracting poem.

The entire process was interspersed with tackles, noogies, and a handful of other pouncing annoyances that were clearly not the casual friendly contact the frustrated psionic was trying to claim they were. Thus was the cycle for the first few weeks.

It was the first day of week three, only a few days out from them being reunited with the rest of the group, that Mituna finally took Kankri’s words seriously. It had taken seeing him break down into real tears while attempting to get a hug from Porrim after a particularly stressful day to convince him that there was more going on than just obtuse behavior.

Kankri sighed as the memory reared its ugly head alongside lying to Cronus who so earnestly enquired after the way he had been treated. Telling himself it was more an issue to bring up with Kurloz, if at all, he instead turned his mind to thoughts of how to extricate himself from the pile of limbs he found himself entangled in.

“Yo+u so+und pretty upset fo+r first thing in the mo+rning,” Porrim said as she approached the mat, alerted by the more aggravated sound of his second sigh. “Yo+u can just wake them up if they’re bo+thering yo+u.”

“That’s n9t the issue,” Kankri admitted. “My mind merely wandered its way t9 an unpleasant mem9ry fr9m the past few weeks.”

Porrim didn’t need to ask which one. “I’m guessing yo+u didn’t tell Cro+nus, seeing as ho+w Mituna is missing any suspect bruises o+n his face.”

Kankri gave a derisive snort. “I’m n9t a69ut t9 6e the reas9n they get int9 a fight. N9t that they n9rmally need a reas9n.”

“I ho+pe yo+u’re mentally preparing yo+urself fo+r when it do+es happen, because we’re abo+ut to+ spend a lo+t o+f time to+gether in even clo+ser quarters.”

Kankri groaned. “I am aware. I als9 find myself h9ping, quite strenu9usly, in fact, that the c9mbinati9n 9f n9w having his m9irail present and the gradually gr9wing nights will all9w us t9 have a faster, m9re peaceful j9urney than we 9therwise might.”

“Right.” Porrim did her best not to roll her eyes. “Just do+n’t get yo+ur ho+pes to+o+ high.”

“but babe im so tall,” Cronus slurred, lifting his head off the pillow and swinging it around in an attempt to find her before his eyes had even properly begun to work.

“D9 y9u have any idea what we’re talking a69ut?” Kankri asked, feeling the corner of his lip turn up.

Cronus blinked several times. “nah, chief. vwhats up? vwoah!”

His mind fully awake, Cronus noticed where his arm had managed to wind up during the day. He pulled it back with a stream of apologies, knocking into Meenah’s legs in the process.

“oi what the fuck cro whats got you all up an shit” she asked, stirring to wakefulness and pawing at the blanket. “an where the glubbin fuck the light at”

She pushed up on the covers, letting a burst of cold evening air and the small bit of light in. “oh hey trigger fish how long you been down there”

It was about two hours past sunset, around when many were heading to the field after the bustle of the evening market, when the twelve emerged hollering and crowing from the cramped rental unit.

“d1d w3 m4k3 sur3 4ll th3 f1r3s 4r3 out?”

“MOG!!! Only like, thr33 times.”

“Not to cause concern, 8ut are you sure three days rations will 8e enough?”

“vwere going down stream vwith the vwind at our backs, itll be plenty.”

“THE W1ND 1S BL0W1NG THE L1TERAL 0PP0SITE D1RECT10N F1SH FACE. WHAT ARE Y0U TALK1NG AB0UT?”

“1 th1nk he means me dude…”

“Is every9ne certain they have c9llected all their pers9nal 6el9ngings?”

“YES. YOU ASK THAT MANY TIMES.”

With the knowledge they were about to leave at the forefront of their mind, the group was able to ignore most of the staring as they milled about the marketplace to gather supplies from stalls. They laughed, grinned, and even playfully pushed and pulled at one another in the fresh vigor of a new night.

Most onlookers proceeded onto their jobs after a few moments, or watched from a distance, with the exception of the farm owner Kankri and his group had spent the past few weeks working under.

“Good evening,” he said, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible. “Taking the day off?”

“Ah, I’m glad y9u’re here s9 I can explain in pers9n,” Kankri, wearing his poncho again, said. “I’m s9rry f9r the sh9rt n9tice, and 6elieve me, I w9uld have 6r9ught it up s99ner had we n9t 9nly just decided last m9rning, 6ut due t9 safety c9ncerns, as well as with an eye t9 finding a place t9 reside which caters m9re fully t9 9ur gr9up dynamic and talents, we are m9ving d9wn river t9 Twin’s Fairgr9und.”

Panicked murmurs erupted from the crowd who were doing a famously poor job of pretending not to eves drop. The upper midblood cleared his throat, silencing the onlookers as Kankri’s infamous scolding face began to emerge. After yesternight’s lecture, the farmer chose his words carefully.

“I see. I have to admit, I’m sorry to see you all go. You’ve been a monumental help this season. You know, if things seem a bit too crowded here, which I can understand, there is a much bigger sanctuary city about a week and a half’s journey up the river. It’s a ways to travel but it avoids areas rife with… potential troubles.”

Kankri took a deep breath, maintaining his composure as best he could, before replying. “While I can appreciate the sentiment, tw9 9f 9ur qualifying fact9rs in ch99sing a l9cati9n t9 set up sh9p was the need t9 6e cl9se 69th t9 the 6ig T9p and the Feeding p9rt town. As s9me 9f 9ur c9mpani9ns need t9 6e present at these l9cati9ns 9nce a perigee, it is n9n-neg9tiable.

“After all, a cl9wn wh9 d9es n9t make the high meeting, unless they have received special permissi9n, is lia6le t9 great persecuti9n 6y their kin. And in the unf9rtunate, and wh9lly perventa6le, case 9f Meenah 9r an9ther 9n the tri6ute list f9rgetting their p9rti9n, the r9yal lusus has, with 9nly its v9ice, the p9wer t9 cause dr9ves 9f the p9pulati9n t9 fall.”

Kankri was taken aback by how genuinely shocked the crowd sounded.

“I wasn’t aware the feedings were so serious,” the owner admitted. “They do seem important either way. Say, I’ve been thinking; thanks to the outstanding way you helped during your stay, why don’t I pass along a farewell gift to you? It won’t do much, but in a pinch it can feed a troll for a few weeks.”

Kankri’s good mood fell further away. “Thank y9u, 6ut that w9n’t 6e necessary. We have all saved up en9ugh t9 get us started and we w9n’t need t9 w9rry a69ut f99d any time s99n. 6etter t9 keep y9ur c9in and spend it here 9n th9se wh9 struggle t9 pr9vide f9r themselves.”

“hey, kankri, vwere vwaiting on you!”

Kankri turned to see Cronus waiting, vigilant but easy, near the entrance to the docks just past the town square.

“Anyway, I must 6e 9n my way. Perhaps I shall see y9u again. Either way, take care.”

With a polite wave Kankri turned and walked away, knowing in one aggravating instant that he was followed. Doing his utmost to ignore the prevailing presence behind him, he strode across the dirt streets to reach the others.

Cronus didn’t mention their crowd of followers either, though he made a point of letting Kankri walk ahead of him so he could provide a buffer between him and the well meaning but frustratingly untrusting crowd.

“you did a good job guppy” Meenah was saying to their young lookout as the pair and their entourage approached. “brought you some breakfast too”

“Thank you, ma’am!” the much cleaner boy said with a twinkle in his eyes as he accepted the wrapped paper package of still warm meat, eggs, and toasted bread.

“Aw, mewr so cute!!! We should just take mew with us!” Meulin cooed from where she stood on deck.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < While I understand your sentiment, I believe that would prove a bad decision due to the dangers we are likely to face in the coming sweeps.”

“1 D0NT KN0W, 1T SEEMS L1KE 1T M1GHT BE W0RTH 1T 0VER SLEEP1NG 1N A F00D CART EVERY DAY,” Mituna said.

“Ah, don’t worry yourselves about that,” the farmer interrupted, something near panic in his voice. “You will most likely be overrun with work in the city. Leave him here, I’ll be sure he has steady work and a place to sleep.”

Meenah scoffed. “right you all just the beacons a hospitality what needed a group a outsiders t tell you not to let a kid run around witout a home”

The accusation made the farm owner jump and a handful of the other members of the crowd shift about uncomfortably.

“i know from blubbin wit shouty an his school that the other me got it to where wrigglers at least had a hivestem unit to themshellves but i dont even know how long thatll take”

“man, that’ll be expens1ve and requ1re a ton of taxes…” Rufioh said.

“Are yo+u suggesting it’s no+t impo+rtant?”

“not at all! but… just that 1t w1ll take a wh1le, probably.”

“I don’t know that was ever achieved 8efore the empire 8egan expanding off planet. Fighting and mining resources a8road, as well as separating out the adults, all contri8uted to it.”

“ugh aint aboat to wait that long” Meenah said. “we boata fix things up get the market risin so we can rake it all in”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Remember not to go so quickly as to create a war. Many powerful trolls might not appreciate a redistribution of wealth.”

“pssh im aboat to be an empfish not a commie free market is where the money comes from” she said. “this shits just government assistance”

“IT CANNOT BE FREE MARKET WITH SLAVES.” Damara said.

“And nyahbe a few rules to keep things furom getting out of paw.”

“right, vwere all vwery free the slavwes, but like, vwithout a fucking civwil vwar if at all possible,” Cronus said as he unhooked the mooring line and jumped onto the ship.

“y34h, th4t would b3 nic3 4nd 4ll, but 1s 1t poss1bl3?”

“Perhaps,” Kankri said. “We might need t9 read up 9n what the current rules are and discern a way t9 gradually change the atm9sphere and laws ar9und the t9pic t9 6ring ab9ut the needed change.”

“reed now you gonna make me paint the deck in breakfast” Meenah complained. “anywave you lubbers look out for my coronation fliers in the next few sweeps if you aint got yourshellves culled by then”

With that final sentiment to the gawking townsfolk, Rufioh stirred up a wind into their open sail and they skipped quickly away over the water’s surface.


	13. Twin's Fairground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives at the clean and impressively advanced city and begin to look around for a place to settle and what sort of confectionery competition they will be facing.

Their trip turned out to not be the complete crumbling of their peace as some had feared. Disagreements would rise but be quelled by third parties almost as quickly as they began. It was a bit odd, most would think but not say, this system of friendly meddling without the express ashen commitment their species normally expected. Blaming residual influence by the humans they had worked with to create this eventuality, they silently carried on with preparations for the next step in their journey.

On the first night, Meenah’s ceremonial cape was altered to suit the new environment. Kurloz carefully painted her scale with the design she had envisioned while Porrim helped to adjust the cut and shape. The alterations allowed for freer movement of her left arm for the inevitable combat she would face and the scale, once properly dry and sealed, acted as a protective pauldron for her right side.

The scale was encompassed by a sparse ring of knotted cloth, each strip torn from the shirt of someone she had fought with or from favorite outfits she had grown out of. One was even from the hem of alpha Feferi’s own cape, taken during the screaming match that had proceeded Meenah’s flight to the moon what seemed like several lifetimes ago. These trophies would only be added to as her notoriety grew and here the new ones would be stained with the blood of her foes.

To liven up the display, Meenah sorted through old trinkets and treasures to adorn the clasp and hem of her cape. Here an ancient golden ring found in a mass of treasure at the bottom of the Beforian sea, there the fine woven necklace from a fondly recalled elder Ampora. Birthday gifts, snuck spoils, and the charms from the bracelet she _had_ to have at five sweeps with their caricature resemblances of her friends all helped to gild the important piece with memories and victories.

Though she lamented how clean it was, she still wore the end result proudly, resolving to keep it on every night she was above water as was tradition.

It poured their second night, and between bitter shifts at the helm in the cold downpour the group enjoyed the isolated haze of the lantern lit ship’s cabin. Lying close in the deepening cold, laughing over their strange new ritual of shared meals, and keeping watch together was enough to make even the most pessimistic among them slowly began to release their waiting dread for the dropping of the proverbial other shoe: their return to the hot ire that filled their game session.

Early their fourth evening on the river, Cronus tilted the boat into a tributary as everyone stared in awe at the fortification wall that rose up before them. In the half hour it took them to reach the dock of the city they had cleaned up and cleared everything away save for the bare essential which were still lashed together pristinely. Twin’s Fairground was the largest city they had been to yet, with the exception of Kurloz, and they prepared themselves for what they would find.

The river flowed through the city. On the wall overlooking the tunnel gate, two eagle eyed guards stood watch for any reason to lower the iron bars to protect the city. Their sails had been furled, giving clear sight of the vigilant pair as Cronus hailed them. They signaled all clear, meaning no one was attempting to get out by the same way, and waved the Future Hope into the city.

Heading inside was like entering a new age. While not modern by their standard, it was still leaps above what they had encountered so far. Things were cleaner, more organized, and an entire ship parking zone with a turn about stream had been crafted right inside the wall. It was hard to imagine the same trolls who worked the fields entirely by hand, forewent routine washings, and spent their lives trusting only their quadmates could possess the knowledge and coordination to succeed in such a feat.

Meenah stood at the bow and was respectfully greeted by many of the trolls they passed. The lower caste would give a swift bow before resuming their work, midblood workers placed a claw to their forehead in salute, and guards and the few highbloods around gave a curt nod. She did her best to properly respond in kind as they pulled into the empty slot at the behest of a young dock hand.

Safely moored, the group was approached by three adult trolls; a blueblood guard, a seafoam green clerk, and a ginger blooded slave who at the very least seemed well cared for as they each internally retched at the sight of that dreaded arm band.

“Good evening,” the clerk said. “What brings you here: business, leisure, or personal?”

“whateva movin in goes under” Meenah answered.

“Ah, I see, you wish to look into making our city your new home? Will you all be staying?” The clerk jotted down a few notes as he spoke.

“yeah”

“Very well. Now, as is the case with all crafts, I must direct our guard to search for any sort of contraband that is not allowed in the city.”

“shore”

“Ah, you see I don’t mean to be inconvenient…” The clerk paused half way through his spiel. “I’m sorry, did you say sure?”

“yeah aint aboat to fuss over your job”

The clerk dropped his rigid shoulders for just a moment before his eyes lit on her scale and drew fully back to attention. “Thank you, heiress, I appreciate your cooperation.”

The clerk nodded to the guard who ducked down into the hatch without a word.

“Now, the city requires a record of the citizens that pass through, who should I give this ledger to for completion?”

“is there one for everyone” Meenah asked, crinkling her nose at the writing board.

“I’ll do it,” Aranea offered, stepping forward.

Utilizing her gift of the neatest and fastest handwriting, she had the lines of the registrar filled out in a matter of minutes. For each they asked for name, blood color group (with her qualmlessly putting Kankri down as part of the green family), reason for visiting, and status within the empire.

“Am I reading this right?” the clerk asked, a pensive look on his features. “You are all free citizens?”

“ey dont you go gettin no ideas aboat my hatchmates” Meenah said, her eyes narrowing and fins pressing flat against her face.

“M-my apologies!” He gave a deep bow. “I meant no offense.”

“right just watch yourshellf”

The tense atmosphere was shattered by the guard popping up out of the deck house.

“They’re clean,” she declared.

“Very well.” The clerk nodded. “Shall we place your ship in the boat house? Or will you be leaving soon?”

“go ahead,” Cronus said, stepping forward. “itll be another vweek or twvo before i head out again.”

“Yes, sir. When you are ready, just let our valet know. He is very well practiced and will safely transport your ship into storage.”

The clerk indicated the slave before he and the guard took their leave. After gathering up the remainder of their things, after all it would likely be a while before they could afford recupricoons or any other furniture, they gave a nice tip to the valet and made their way out of the area before they could get too worked up over the state of affairs.

“Alright, it is nine 9’cl9ck. 8e sure t9 meet 6ack here 6y three in the m9rning at the latest and remem6er y9ur emergency signals sh9uld a pr96lem 9f any s9rt arise. And every9ne, please d9 try t9 stay 9ut 9f tr9u6le.”

The group split into four predetermined clusters of three, a much safer and more common group number, and capable of scouting for hives and snooping through the confectionary competition at a more efficient pace.

That was how Meenah, Damara, and Cronus found themselves alone together once more walking through the high-class inner streets of the city. The streets were paved with a dark red stone maintained with a precise dedication. Many low blood five-to-seven-sweep-olds ran about cleaning up any trash, animal leavings, or weeds they could find with an honest and fearful vigor. They were overseen by their slightly older peers who had graduated to being in charge of maintaining the everpurple shrubs, red leafed trees, and dark green and blue autumnal flowers that lined the streets and the grey walled shophives that rose up in neat rows.

“WHY ARE WE HERE.” Damara asked as they read the signs to find their first shop. “WE WILL NOT MAKE THIS KIND OF PLACE.”

“true but vwe still need to knowv vwhat they serwve,” Cronus said. “that vway vwe can attract some of them to our shop or at least advwertise a similar product to trolls wvho normally vwouldnt hawve access.”

“ooh that place looks coral lets check it out” Meenah shoved into the other two, leading them into the first bakery she saw.

The shop was well lit for not having electricity. Glow fungus grew in boxes along the walls and a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. Still, there was a prevailing gloom with the interior being dark brown woods and grey black stones. Color looked like it might be their signature in more than one way.

The dull chatter cut off as the trio entered. Four days on the water and their usual attire was what caught the clean cut, well dressed noble’s attention and ire. Quick rising hindsight said they may have benefited from stopping by a bathhive before entering such clean businesses.

Not one to back down, Meenah walked forward towards the counter, ignoring the sneers of the ceruleans, indigos, and few other seadwellers and the confused look of their low and midblood attendants. It was these attendants that made most of the other patrons ignore Damara’s presence, though a few attentive observers noted with disdain her lack of an armband.

“How may I help you, lady heiress and my lord?” the cerulean bakehive owner asked, doing her best to hide her annoyance at their casual appearance in her establishment.

“what you got” Meenah asked casually, looking into the display case with her arms crossed over her chest. “we just swam in whats popular”

Cronus grimaced, but decided not to repeat her request unless the shopkeeper seemed completely lost.

“What’s popular? Well, it’s spawning season so river red fish eggs on a nest of fried extruded wheat tubes is a limited piece,” she said.

Meenah crinkled her nose. “neva got into caviar much beta when they full grown whats good an sweet”

Damara poked Meenah in the side and was waved off for her trouble.

“For sweet I have a sage and pucker fruit cake with dried candied breakfast fruit slices on a thin glaze.”

“orca let me get one a those one a these fluffy cookies an one a the fish egg nests”

The owner nodded and placed their order into a to-go package without asking their preference. Money was exchanged and the trio left the tense atmosphere.

“whale that was stupid” Meenah said once they were back in the open air. “these shits is fuckin tiny heres ya stupid glubbin fish orbs”

They each shared a bite of the pristine treats. From the shape to the color, each looked marvelously prepared. There was, however, one other problem that they quickly noticed.

“THEY TASTE BAD.” Damara said.

“how the fuck did they manage to mess up meringue so bad” Meenah asked as she looked at the cookie in disgust.

“not only is the cake dry, vwhich is inexcusable for the price, they completely botched the ingredients,” Cronus complained.

“THEY SUGARED THE ORBS. WHO SUGARS THE ORBS.” Damara asked.

“how do they have business anywave they beta all not be like that”

Three shops later, some with better reception of their presence than others, a pattern began to develop. Anything with citrus, spices, or ingredients labeled ‘high class’ would sell for the exotic novelty despite how it tasted. Plating was always more important than taste and it was very rare that portions were larger than a square or that prices were lower than a tenth ounce gold coin, which could normally buy enough ingredients for three full cakes. Chocolates and sweat meats were also popular items and were much more palatable but still overpriced.

“so, lets recap,” Cronus said as the three of them sat on a bench near a fountain after their latest purchase. “vwe need vwibrant colors, vweird combinations that dont taste like shit, and someone vwho actually knowvs howv to make tea.”

“ME. I AM THE MAKER OF TEA. AND MEULIN.”

“an im gonna put this whole shack town to shame wit cake” Meenah declared as she slumped miserably on her seat. “also you notice none a those places had clowns”

“unless they vwere vwith someone but yeah,” Cronus agreed. “vwanna try an find someplace they do go?”

“cant be any worse”

Resigned to a few more nasty delicacies, they pushed up from their bench and walked off in pursuit of the illusive clown hangout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at a bit of a dilemma with the story. I feel like I want to share the little things to show how everything is progressing with the group, but at the same time I feel like it will just drag if I spell out in dialogue every little thing. I feel like the beginning of this chapter is a bit infodumpy, but I'd like to hear your opinion on it. Thank you so much for reading, as always, and Happy Halloween.


	14. Troll Watching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gossip and judgement count as market research, right?

Three trolls sat at a table under the awning of a quaint shop owned by a frail midblood and her highblood tank of a moirail. No one payed the trio much mind as they sipped at their tea and picked at a collected assortment of treats from the different shops in the area. They paid attention to those who passed by, however, rating them as much as the pastries they consumed.

“There are m9re midbl99ds than anything,” Kankri commented as he pulled apart a still-warm sweet roll. “Th9ugh I supp9se the highbl99ds might primarily stick t9 their 9wn c9rner 9f t9wn.”

“They can stay there,” Meulin replied. “They’ll purrobably scare off efuryone else.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < My primary concern is how prevalent branding is. I’d say less than ten percent of the BOUY population are free trolls.”

“I 6elieve the fact that there are even that many living al9ngside th9se 9n the c99ler end 9f the spectrum attests t9 this 6eing a well-principled sanctuary city. Th9ugh I must admit I’m surprised that the slavery issue seems t9 extend int9 the 9JA gr9up.”

Kankri spun the ring he had received from Meenah around his thumb while a disquiet churned in his stomach.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < From what I can gather, those unfortunates came into their predicament though debt, though that hardly makes a difference with a quarter of them falling into such a category.”

A heavy silence fell on the group as they reached the limits of how much they could trust the void and those rings on their fingers to keep them safe as they spouted their complaints.

“I will admit,” Kankri said, breaking the pall, “I was expecting t9 see a few m9re cl9wns c9nsidering the city is under their pr9tecti9n.”

“(^ ō w ō ^)? What are mew meowing about?” Meulin asked. “There are purrlenty of clowns. Look.”

She pointed up with a finger and sure enough, at least eight clowns could be spotted roving around on the rooftops of buildings, watching the streets below for any signs of conflict. That was four times the number they had already seen, and the possibility of more in the shadows quickly put the count into perspective.

“I stand c9rrected.” Kankri lowered his eyes before he could be caught staring. “Is the pie any g99d, H9russ?”

The apple pie slice sat with only two bites missing. Horuss pulled a face.

“(; Ó Д Ò) < It is far too sweet,” he admitted. “I thought the shine on the crust was an egg wash but it is a glaze.”

Meulin reached over and sampled a bite. “Ew, it is! And the apples are bad.”

“That w9uld explain what they are trying t9 c9ver up,” Kankri commented. “Where did we get that fr9m?”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < From the shop you called sterile and cheaply showy. I suppose I canter complain since there were many signs of jumped fences and forced opalescence.”

“There is a large leap fr9m tacky displays t9 inferi9r pr9ducts. Y9u are welc9me t9 try anything else, if y9u like.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Thank you, hoofever I shall pass. Sweets have never been my favorite, hence my desire to ensure another way for me to contribute to the group.”

Meulin scoffed. “As if there would efur be a question about you contributing.”

“I agree,” Kankri said, shoving aside a less than pleasant tart. “Th9ugh I 6elieve if we c9uld manage it, simple fruit with whipped dairy 9r cultured dairy w9uld 6e well received.”

“e-excuse m-me.”

The three paused, looking around to see where the noise had come from, and if it was addressed to them. They were shocked to find the owner of the small establishment only a step away from the table, having been entirely unaware of her approach.

“um… i’m s-sorry to bother you… b-but i was wondering i-if i could freshen your tea… or get s-something else for you?”

“(^oωo^) Sure!” Meulin said with a large grin. “Thank you.”

She handed the teapot over to the meek troll who nodded as she accepted it. Then she paused, waiting there a moment more, seeming to contemplate something.

Just as the others began to consider asking if she was alright, she spoke again.

“i… um… i did not mean to… but… i couldn’t help but hear th-that your pie was less than acceptable.”

“(; O Д O)! < Ah, I did not purchase it here; I am not upset. Your tea has been quite lovely.”

The relief on her face was visible. “th-thank you. i… do not have pie… b-but i do carry spiced apple cider… and i don’t… don’t add sugar…”

Horuss perked up at the mention. “(; O v O) < Do you now? I believe I’ll try some.”

“r-right away…”

A small smile graced her features as she gave a quick bow and turned to quickly walk back inside of the shop.

“How in the furick did she catch a job in the service industry?” Meulin asked once the other was out of sight.

“Are y9u saying her s9cial anxiety disqualifies her fr9m pursuing her passi9ns?” Kankri asked, eyeing her over the rim of his teacup.

“No! Don’t start rawring at me.” Meulin rolled her eyes. “I just can’t figure why she’d maul herself efury night. It’s furry stressful.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < I understand your concern, hoofever she appears to have a STRONG moirallegiance. I %pect that helps.”

“Maybe.” Meulin didn’t seem fully convinced. “I guess knowing a nice highblood can help make efuryone feel bolder. Even if they aren’t in a relationship.”

The last sentence was uttering into the bottom of her glass as she drained the last of its contents. It was still out loud, and hard to miss.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Meulin, please refreign from this sort of talk in public. It is hardly the monumental stone pile you are making it out to be.”

“Meenah gave efuryone furom mew down a ring fur purrtection. He doesn’t knead it anymoar.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < He doesn’t have anything else to wear.”

“Please, d9n’t fight 9ver an ex,” Kankri interrupted. “While I am als9 c9nfused as t9 why he has made several attempts t9 av9id taking it 9ff, it ultimately is causing n9 harm as l9ng as H9russ isn’t triggered 6y it.”

The matter was far from settled; however, they heard the quiet owner returning and cut the matter short for now.

“(; @ O v O) < This is very pleasant. Thank you for recommending it,” Horuss said after tasting the cider.

The shy troll beamed and bowed before taking her leave.

Once alone, Kankri did not allow for the heated subject to resurface.

“I am impressed at h9w clean everything here is. Half the w9rkers 9n the fields d9n’t even seem t9 kn9w what s9ap is, and fr9m P9rrim’s descripti9n, the tr9lls 9f Mad Cap let their waste matter c9llect in the streets. It is rather puzzling, seeing such a wide dich9t9my 6etween standards 9nly miles apart.”

“I think Kurloz meowed that Calliope pawed down cleaning standards. The purroblem is her brother didn’t and efuryone who is exclusively in his service are all ‘bluh that clean stuff is just wimpy kitten nonsense and strong warriors don’t knead it’.” She giggled. “He’s so angry about it.”

“I can understand,” Kankri said, horror images of the prevalent filth lurking in such areas flashing through his mind. “Th9ugh, if I may hazard a guess, it seems as if he has n9 higher ire than when interacting with Meenah.”

Meulin laughed louder. “(^*OωO*^) MOG!!! Mew noticed? I was afuraid it had changed to platonic hatred fur a while, but I think it’s getting back to moar romantic as he starts to feel better.”

“(; Ò Д Ó) < I have noticed that for the self-proclaimed pitch expert, he does not seem overly confident in reading his own attractions. Although, I am likely the least qualified to speak on the subject.”

“Mew’re not wrong.” Meulin looked momentarily forlorn. “I nefur understood what his doubts were about. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into another Kankri/Cronus situation.”

Kankri inhaled sharply, then coughed as tea went down a path it shouldn’t have.

“There is n9 Kankri and Cr9nus situation!” he protested, face blushing red.

“Mew bet mewr stupid leggings there is,” she replied with a smirk.

“(; Ò Д Ó) < Now Meulin, you should not harass him about such things.”

“Thank y9u, H9russ, I…”

“(;; @O v O ;) < It will only prolong the process of them getting together.”

Several trolls on the streets turn as bright peals of laughter peeled through the night air. They spotted three trolls sitting at a table under the awning of a modest tea shop. Tears escaped the eyes of a howling olive, while an unmarked troll buried his face in his hands. Their blue-blooded companion seemed quite pleased with himself as sweat trickled down his face. 


	15. Threatening Relic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempers flare while Porrim, Aranea, and Rufioh make their way through the shops looking for ideas for their own contributions. They are brought back down to the present by something horrific in the sky that no one was expecting to see in this low tech world.

“yo, not that th1s 1sn’t fun and all… but why are we walk1ng around fancy bout1ques? 1t’s not really 1n l1ne w1th our scouting goals, dolls…” Rufioh said, his hands pressed deep into the front pocket of the controversial blue hoodie, a scowl creasing his face.

He was playing the part of a grumpy shadow, following Aranea and Porrim as they took detailed notes on the different styles worn along the long line of the hemospectrum.

Initially, he had been happy to join the girls' group, not that there was much choice. They were the only ones who made it a clear priority to stop by a bathhouse before venturing out to be judged by the masses, something he was similarly eager about, but soon after they had found a decent tea distributor in an upper midblood neighborhood, who worked directly with independent Eastern based tea growers, their trip had taken a turn that quickly soured his attitude.

“In case yo+u hadn’t no+ticed, the twelve o+f us stick o+ut like a so+re thumb,” Porrim said, showing no sign of increasing her pace. “We’ll need to+ make a few adjustments if we are to+ be taken serio+usly.”

“yeah… the negat1ve attent1on 1sn’t really com1ng from our outf1ts,” he replied. “also, there’s approx1mately zero percent chance you’re go1ng to get meenah 1n a dress.”

“That is a stolla, 8ut 8elieve me, I am aware of the fact she would never 8e caught dead in one,” Aranea chimed in. “8ut while I agree that we will always 8e considered fashion innovators, there are some things that need adjustment: certain collar lines, the overall formality of outfits, a 8urning of a certain overly clinging piece of clothing that we have all suffered with long enough, and a few other minor shifts for the sake of sensi8ility.”

Porrim turned from the rack she had been examining with a sample winter coat in her hand. It was made of brown sealed leather to keep out the moisture and a fleeced inside to protect against the cold.

“Take this, fo+r example,” she said, holding the item up to Rufioh’s chin after forcing him to straighten his posture. “In an age witho+ut central heating, and very limited clo+sed and warm transpo+rtatio+n, co+ats are much mo+re abo+ut practicality than design. They go+ all the way do+wn to+ the to+ps o+f bo+o+ts. No+ne o+f us have anything like that and we’ll likely be missing it o+nce the sno+w starts.”

Rufioh’s face remained pinched and cynical.

“This one might not 8e so 8ad,” Aranea commented, as she and Porrim both fussed with the way the coat sat against their living mannequin. “Orange and red decorative stitching would greatly compliment it.”

“1 don’t need a coat r1ght now,” Rufioh growled, his ears flattening. “we’re only supposed to be buy1ng essent1als… we can’t afford fancy coats.”

Porrim rolled her eyes. “Relax, no+ o+ne is trying to+ pry away yo+ur sto+len ho+o+die. If Ho+russ wants to+ be co+nstantly reminded o+f the disaster yo+u’ll bo+th inevitably fall back into+, that’s between him and his mo+irail. But if yo+u put the gro+up in a dangero+us situatio+n again, I’m no+t planning o+n being nice abo+ut it.”

Her lips curled to expose her fangs and the slightest hint of a glow came to her skin. The average troll in the shop payed it no heed, but those who knew what to look for couldn’t help but spot the threat.

“1’m NOT tr1ng to get back w1th h1m! 1t was bad for both of us. 1t would be GREAT 1f everyone stopped mak1ng assumpt1ons…”

“Alright,” Aranea pushed between them. “Let’s not create a scene. We may not fully understand, 8ut you’re right, we don’t really need to comment on it now that Horuss has given his approval.”

“of course, ne1ther of you understand, you’re not m*dbl**ds,” Rufioh spat, his patience choosing a poor time to run out. “no one sees you as r1pe for the tak1ng w1th no armband. no one looks over you wh1le wa1t1ng for the ‘real troll’ to talk 1nstead. a r1ng 1sn’t someth1ng they’ll see r1ght away… kankr1 has the advantage of look1ng l1ke an OJA, m1tuna doesn’t go anywhere w1thout h1s p1ty entourage, and damara 1s too much of a psycho for people to mess w1th.”

“Okay, see, this is the creating a scene thing I was talking a8out,” Aranea said, pleadingly putting her hands up as her eyes darted around the room, relievedly noticing that few seemed to be paying them much mind. “Your upset is valid, and I understand you’re one of the many of us who is 8etween moirails right now, 8ut I think we would 8e 8etter served, including your own desire to keep the attention of the masses off of your person as much as possi8le, if we waited until we were outside and walking to our next destination or taking a 8reak in a side alley to vent these sorts of frustrations.”

Rufioh scoffed. “between mo1ra1ls? babe… 1 made one bad dec1s1on two sweeps and an etern1ty of death ago and 1’m st1ll cons1dered such a p1ece of sh** that 1’m seen as the root problem beh1nd everyone else’s fa1led relat1onsh1ps and the source of at least one troll’s bullsh** makeover… maybe two. 1 can’t even try approach1ng my ex 1n a way to move forward am1cably w1thout hav1ng to be attacked by everyone for hurt1ng h1m aga1n… as 1f there wasn’t plenty 1 had to deal w1th 1n that relat1onsh1p too.”

His breathing began to quicken, shoulders heaving as he shook to keep his voice from rising to a shout.

“I get it,” Aranea said, laying her hands on his shoulders, her eyes intense and pleading. “I get it. Really. I didn’t exactly pull anyone in 8y my stunts 8efore we settled down to eject from the game and create this 8alanced world. We were merely planning for the future; winter is only a few perigees away and if we’re making things 8y hand, it’ll take that long to do it. We’ll go to a different kind of store to take a 8reak after this one, okay?”

The two held eye contact for a moment as Rufioh’s strangled breathing began to even out. With a deep breath, his pose lost its rigidity, though there was still an upset to his overall look.

“okay… whatever…”

He turned away, eyes pointed towards the floor, as he folded deeper into himself. Aranea breathed a small sigh of relief that it was over, even if a part of herself felt cheated for having to bring up a bit of her own insecurities in public of all places. Reading the mood, Porrim reasoned she had seen enough of what this store had to offer.

“Let me grab a few sewing supplies that I kno+w I’ll need in the upco+ming weeks,” she said, moving towards the display of needles, threads, and other small tools.

Their purchase made, the tense trio exited back onto the chilly streets amid the throng of trolls moving about their daily work.

The average person walked swiftly and silently from one destination to the next, head down with sharp eyes and ears on alert. Rarely two trolls stopped to exchange brief greetings, and even more occasionally a hoofbeast drawn carriage parted the sea of life.

“It’s so strange,” Aranea commented. “Seeing a crafted turn around for ships, such rigid cleanliness, and knowing the empress rules the entirety of the planet, while at the same time there is no electricity, no pu8lic transportation, no method of instant communication. It makes me wonder how it was all 8rought under control and how that control is maintained.”

“1’m pretty sure that’s one of those th1ngs you don’t want to know the answer to, doll…”

Before his cryptic statement could be questioned, a hum broke through the rest of the night. Loud, clanging, inefficient, a large metal craft flew into view in the air. Sparks, that could only be poorly utilized psionics in ancient machinery the current owners didn’t know how to properly run or maintain, burst forth at intervals in the joints and exhausts of the contraption.

Those walking below scrambled, doubling their pace or falling away into the recesses of alleyways. Dread was stamped on every face, even the handful of seadwellers passing through seemed to hold their breath, praying that the sanctuary would be minded.

As Rufioh dragged his companions deep into the shadows of a tall wooden sign beneath an awning, a different kind of terror and pain crossed each of their faces.

“that answer your quest1on?” Rufioh asked in a hoarse whisper as they couldn’t pull their eyes away from the disastrous wreck.

“H8w did y8u kn8w????????” Aranea hissed as her knuckles paled from the ferocity of her pointless grip on her saber hilt.

“seen 1t before… look1ng for trolls to step outs1de the safety of the sanctuar1es, no doubt. closest th1ngs they have to the drones…”

“It’s certainly no+t the empress, if she has any co+mmo+n sense. But it wo+uld be an excellent intimidation+n to+o+l.”

“That 8nly w8rks if they use it 8nce in a while,” Aranea said. “If that’s h8w hard it is to fly, imagine trying t8 w8rk the cann8ns. >::::(“

The ship pulled away, seemingly satisfied with the terror its presence instilled. The impact was left, however, and any calm of normality was squashed beneath paranoia and fear.

“Can’t let the pro+les get to+o+ co+mfo+rtable,” Porrim said as they reemerged into the chaotic and distrustful atmosphere. “They might have killed o+ff anyo+ne who+ knew ho+w to+ make tho+se so+rts o+f weapo+ns, but as lo+ng as the peo+ple can be reminded o+f who+ ran the takeo+ver, they’ll have no+ reaso+n to+ rise up.”

“I fear the 8lack market is going to 8e more prevalent in our spans than Kankri will like,” Aranea said as she smoothed out her dress and attempted to regain her composure.

“He’ll have to+ get o+ver it. We came to+ put an end to+ all o+f this, no+t add heads to+ the victim list.”

“the hardest part w1ll be not knock1ng c1v1l1zat1on back 1nto the dark ages wh1le we do 1t. 1 don’t th1nk they can go back much farther before we start loos1ng evolut1on.”

The atmosphere cut off any further musings as they saw eyes searching for someone to turn in, like prey looking for the weakest link to sacrifice to the predator to satiate the taste for blood and buy time until their own inevitable demise. That didn’t mean the three had let the idea go from their minds; they were too fresh and used to their relative freedom to hand over their thoughts as well as their words. Three plots, surprisingly similar, began to formulate as they entered the next shop on their path.


	16. Hive Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Latula, Kurloz, and Mituna are in charge of finding the hive and shop they will all call home. In such a large city, some familiar faces offer to guide the way.

“0H MY G0G W1LL Y0U TW0 HURRY UP!” Mituna exclaimed to his two companions.

“1t’s not a r4c3, b4b3,” Latula said, exhaustion in her voice. “4ctu4lly, w1th how b1g th1s pl4c3 1s, r4c1ng through 1t 1s th3 oppos1t3 of a good pl4n.”

Mituna clicked his tongue. “1F WE TAKE ALL DAY, WE’LL NEVER GET THR0UGH THE WH0LE TH1NG. EVERY0NE ELSE 1S PRACT1CALLY DEPEND1NG 0N 0UR GR0UP T0 F1ND 0UR H1VE.”

“AND WE SHALL SUCCEED, MY EXCEEDINGLY ENERGETIC BROTHER, IN TIME. WE NEED ONLY– GET DOWN FROM THERE!”

Kurloz cut his admonishment short when Mituna lifted himself with psionics onto a short wall. Though the boarder wall only came to waist height, it was still enough to instill fear into both of his quadmates.

“S1NCE WHEN D1D Y0U BEC0ME AN 0LD FART?” Mituna asked, staring down from his perch.

“WHEN DID A BROTHER BECOME AGED FOR SHOWING CONCERN FOR HIS MIRACULOUSLY RESTORED DIAMOND? THE DREADED QUAKES HAVE NOT YET FULLY LEFT YOU, AND YOU DO MOST ANNOYINGLY REFUSE TO WEAR PROTECTION AROUND YOUR SKULL.”

“1M N0T G01NG T0 HAVE A SE1ZURE,” Mituna’s eyes rolled behind the curtain of his bangs.

“hon3y b33 pl34s3 g3t down,” Latula pleaded. “th1s pl4c3 1s g1v1ng m3 m4jor b4d v1b3z 4nd 1 would f33l w4y b3tt3r 1f w3 stuck clos3.”

With and annoyed, “F1NE,” Mituna lifted himself down towards the ground.

Two inches from the stone paved alley, a grunt escaped him before he dropped hard, knees partially buckling as he lost his balance from the landing. Kurloz’ hand found his lower back, steadying the cocky golden blood who apparently wasn’t as ‘fine’ as he insisted.

“SEE? BROTHER YOU STILL NEED TIME TO REGAIN YOUR FORMER FIRE. I WOULD BEG YOU, MITUNA, DON’T CAUSE YOURSELF INJURY BY PREMATURE EXERTIONS OF YOUR GIFTS.” Kurloz looked pleadingly at his moirail as he continued to hold onto his arms after assisting him. “AND IT WOULD DO US ALL A GREAT MOTHERFUCKING FAVOR IF YOU WOULD KEEP THE HELMET ON OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE UNTIL YOU DID REGAIN MORE FULLY YOUR POWER.”

Mituna sighed. “1LL STAY 0FF THE WALL BUT 1 D0NT WANT T0 WEAR THE HELMET R1GHT N0W. PE0PLE FUCK1NG STARE T00 MUCH.”

Kurloz only frowned deeper, moving to run a tentative hand through the other’s bushy mess of hair. “NOW IT IS MY TURN TO ASK, WHEN DID YOU PICK UP A CARE FOR WHAT STRANGERS THOUGHT OF YOUR LOOKS OR TALENTS? MOTHERFUCKERS IN THIS HIVE HUB ARE MORE LIKE TO JUDGE BASED ON COLOR OR NOT AT ALL. AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THIS HEAD NEST OF YOURS?”

Kurloz pulled back his had that had run into something sticky resting at the base of Mituna’s horns.

“1s th4t hon3y?” Latula asked, peering over at the yellow goop on Kurloz’ finger. “pl34s3 t3ll m3 th4t’s hon3y.”

“PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY IT IS HONEY,” Kurloz asked.

Mituna, caught red clawed, bleped his tongue out and turned his face away.

“BROTHER THAT ONLY ADDS TO MY INQUIRY.”

As if in answer, a small tuft of soft purple began to walk it’s way up Mituna’s inner left horn.

Latula’s eyes grew wide and her heart began to pound. “tun4, pl34s3 t3ll m3 you d1dn’t st34l b33z wh1l3 w3 w3r3 work1ng!!!”

“1TS N0T STEAL1NG! THERE WAS AN EXTRA QUEEN AND THEY WERE G01NG T0 F1GHT T0 THE DEATH ANY WAY S0 1 JUST T00K THE EXTRA 0NE AND ANY 0F THE DR0NES AND W0RKERS THAT WANTED TO G0 W1TH HER. 1TS L1KE TEN BEES WH0 W0ULD HAVE D1ED 0R K1LLED AT LEAST AS MANY 0F THE 0THERS AS 1 T00K. 1 NEED THEM AND HE 1SNT REALLY L0S1NG ANY.”

Latula and Kurloz both let themselves unwind from their shock, what he said did make sense. They resumed their walk through the back alley that lead from the lower-class area into to a midblood run shopping district.

“AND 1F 1 T00K THE 0NE THAT 1 TH0UGHT WAS G01NG T0 WIN, THATS MY BUS1NESS.”

That sounded much more like the actions Mituna would take, though the reasoning still held. After all, if he entrusted their care to strangers, how would their owner even know a few were missing?

The group emerged from the shadows of the alley, eyes looking for both trouble brewing and buildings that advertised sale.

“GOOD EVENING, BOLD BROTHER. I SEE YOU HAVE BOTH TAKEN OUR ADVICE AND MADE REUNION WITH YOUR PRODIGAL QUADMATE.”

The three turned their eyes and locked onto three of the five trolls who had encountered Mituna and Latula in the orchard only a short time ago.

“0H HEY,” Mituna greeted them with a smile, glad to have the focus off his new pets. “YEAH HE MADE 1T BACK. D1D Y0U HAVE ANY LUCK 0N Y0UR HUNT?”

The other nodded, his back curved goat-like horns slowly dipping forward to expose their sharp tips. “WE DID APPREHEND THE ONES WE HAD HEARD REPORT OF. FOR NOW THAT SHOULD BE QUIET. BY THE BY, MY NAME IS VIOREL AND THESE TWO ARE MY KIN, SITARA AND HER MATE LIVIUS. BUT, PRAY TELL, WHERE IS YOUR RED-BLOODED COMPANION? THIS MAY BE A WISE HOME FOR THE LOT OF YOU, BUT IT WILL STILL NOT BE WISE FOR ANY TO ROAM ALONE.”

Mituna gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “N0 W0RR1ES HES SAFE W1TH 0THERS. THE GR0UP SPL1T T0 L00K F0R A H1VE BEF0RE SUN UP.”

“h4h4, y34h, don’t w4nt to g3t stuck outs1de,” Latula said, giving Mituna a small nudge. “h3y, d1dn’t you h4v3 two mor3 fr13nds l4st t1m3? 4r3 th3y 4round?”

Viorel took a second to answer, reading Latula’s rigid grin with bright eyes that peered out from unreadable paint done in a twisted smile. “THEY CAME THROUGH JUST FINE, THEY ARE VISITING MATES AROUND TOWN. WE’D ALSO BE KEEN TO HELP A BROTHER AND HIS CONFIDENCE TO FIND A PLACE AS WE HAVE BEEN ROAMING THESE LANDS FOR SWEEPS NOW.”

Kurloz did his utmost to keep his face lax and his posture loose, questioning in the depths of his pusher when he had learned to hold his own kind in such a deep-seated suspicion.

“I THANK YOU MOST SINCERELY FOR YOUR OFFER AND CARE OF MY OWN IN MY ABSENCE. WITH SUCH KINDNESS ALREADY DISPLAYED, I’D FEEL AN UNSIGHTLY BURDEN TO LAY SO SOON AFTER ANOTHER REQUEST ON YOUR HEADS.”

It was Mituna’s turn to frown, though with his back to the others, their three new acquaintances were the ones who received the benefit of noticing the change.

“IT IS NO BURDEN, AND ARE YOU NOT OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE MORE FREQUENT VISITS TO THE MEETINGS? WE WILL BE KNOWING YOU BETTER FROM HERE, BROTHER KURLOZ, AND GOOD KIN WILL ALWAYS LEND A CLAW,” Viorel said.

His voice was not scolding, though a troubled undertone laced through it and spilled guilt into the pusher of one already so seeped in such emotions.

“IS IT NOT A PLACE TO WORK AND REST YOUR HEAD YOU SEEK? YOU WON’T HAVE THE GRACE OF YOUTH TO HOLD YOU ABOVE THE SEAS OF WANT FOR LONG.”

“R1GHT? HES JUST 1N A SH1TTY M00D, D0NT TAKE 1T THE WR0NG WAY,” Mituna said. “1TS AWES0ME THAT Y0URE S0 K1ND T0 US.”

“lack of a hive can weigh on any pusher,” said Sitara with a soft, low voice. “so close to winter too. have you given thought to where or what you seek?”

“PLENTY,” Mituna said with a chortle. “THERES A SH1TT0N 0F US S0 WE HAVE PLENTY 0F NEEDS T0 C0NS1DER.”

Livius raised an eyebrow. “How many is a sHit ton? I’m curious.”

“th3r3’s 4ctu4lly tw3lv3 of us,” Latula said, her nerves bubbling out from her lips as she continued to sweep eyes around the street and across the faces of the strangers in front of her. “so you c4n 1m4g1ne 1ts not 4n 34sy t4sk.”

“tHat is a substantial number. tHere must be a story beHind tHat.”

“Y0URE N0T WR0NG,” Mituna replied. “BUT THE SUN W0ULD DEF1NATELY FRY US 1F WE TR1ED TELL1NG 1T ALL 1N 0NE G0.”

Viorel nodded. “THERE CAN BE TIME FOR THAT LATER. BUT NOW, LET ME IN ON WHAT ABOUT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, I’VE ALREADY A FEW GOOD SPOTS IN MY MIND.”

“S0, WE WANTED T0 JUST HAVE THE 0NE PLACE, MAYBE L1VE 0VER THE L1TTLE CAFÉ WERE PLANN1NG.”

“a café? with all of you, i suppose i’m a bit surprised,” Sitara commented.

“1 D1DNT TH1NK THEY WERE SER10US AT F1RST E1THER BUT THEY ALL HAVE THE1R PANS SET 0N 1T TH0UGH 1TLL PR0BABLY W1ND UP BE1NG THE W1ERDEST 0NE 0N THE MARKET. 0H! AND H0RUSS WANTS A SH0P 0FF THE BACK F0R H1S MECHAN1CAL STUFF. AND P0RR1M WAS SAY1NG S0METH1NG AB0UT A R00F GARDEN. BUT L1KE ALL THE H1VE R00FS AR0UND HERE ARE WE1RDLY FLAT S0 THAT PR0BABLY W0NT BE HARD T0 PULL 0FF.”

Viorel and his companions processed the information and ran through the available properties around the city. Mituna continued to spout odd observations and the more trivial desires that would be based on their own eventual interior decorating. This left his distracted as sharp claws began to disturb the fabric of Kurloz’ sleeves. Latula, eyes still alert, caught it, however, and with one swift motion, she connected the dragon head of her cane sword with the back of his skull.

Kurloz jumped and silently moved his hand to the sore spot while shooting a glare in Latula’s direction. His voodoos bristled, and this managed to alert Mituna. By the time their shared quadmate had turned to check on them, his uncertain gaze was met by even looks, hiding any hint of the conflicts between them.

Viorel and the others couldn’t help but wonder how any trolls could be so simultaneously distrusting of others and showy with their ties in public. They thought better of acknowledging what had transpired.

“CONSIDER THIS A BLESSED DAY,” Viorel said, preventing the situation from spiraling further out of control. “THERE IS A PLACE THAT I FEEL WILL HOLD YOUR INTEREST.”

With mild prodding, he led the way down the streets. From the lane they had just entered, they walked closer into the heart of the city where the wall ran along the official outer circle of the capital. They passed many businesses; so numerous were they that it was hard to tell who even held the reigns of the area they had come to.

“Here we are,” Livius declared. “as you can see, it’s a tHree story Hive with rougHly six blocks on the top two floors. wHetHer you make tHem all rest blocks or Have sitting blocks will be your cHoice. wHat you can’t readily see is tHe basement and tHe sHed off tHe back. it will take some work, tHougH I can’t imagine it will be too Hard.

“S0UNDS L1KE A W1NNER T0 ME,” Mituna said with a grin. “S0 H0W D0–”

“HUSH,” Viorel said, holding up his hand and craning his ears. “INSIDE, NOW.”

The empty hive was unlocked, something that might have raised alarm bells if a droning hum didn’t hold their attention.

“wh4t 1s th4t?” Latula asked as the door was shut behind them.

“a seeker. i’d advise against looking, you will not care for it.”

“oh no, 1s 1t th4t rust3d out 3xcus3 for 4n 41rsh1p ruf1oh and k4nkr1 s41d th3y spott3d?” The last hope that the pair had been exaggerating left her heart.

“1S THAT WHAT 1T 1S?” Mituna asked. “1 WANT T0 SEE 1T.”

“TUN4 NO!!!” Latula grabbed onto him with a vice-like grip, losing all care for subtlety. “th3y s41d 1t w4s smok1ng and sp4rk1ng 4nd b4r3ly h1gh3r th4n th3 roofs. wh4t3v3r poor soul th3y h4v3 str4pp3d 1n th4t d34th tr4p 1s 3xp3r13nc1ng h3ll on 34rth. pl34s3, don’t r1sk g3tt1ng n34r 1t. w3 don’t h4v3 4ny pow3r to k33p th3m from t4k1ng you. pl34s3!!!”

Tears fell from her eyes as her shoulders heaved with the overwhelming pain of her desperation. Mituna went from bristling to apologetic, drawing Latula into an embrace.

“1LL BE CAREFUL TUL1P. 1 PR0M1SE.”

With silent and shadowy step, Kurloz appeared behind his moirail and wrapped his arms around both of them. His eyes were red, the image of what he had seen burned into the hind of his eyes. With a squeeze, he passed a louder message to the sobbing troll than any words could express.

“HAVE YOU FINALLY MADE UP YOUR MIND, BROTHER?” Viorel asked.

Rage tinted eyes met with knowing ones. “YOU’D BEST MOTHERFUCKING BELIEVE IT.”


	17. Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sudden and unexpected threat unravels the group and the floodgates of anger and harsh words burst open.

“what the fuck what the fuck W)(AT T)(E FUCK” Meenah slammed the shop hive door open and stormed inside.

The six occupants jumped, pulling weapons and turning to face the rampaging fuchsia as she entered followed by eight other alert and arguing individuals.

“HOW THE MOTHERFUCK DID YOU MANAGE TO FIND US?” Kurloz asked, his eyes still brimmed in red from the nasty image he had seen not thirty minutes earlier.

“kanny used his seer thing,” Cronus said. “vwe just followved the lines vwhen you didn’t hit up the meeting place.”

“you’r3 bl33ding, wh4t h4pp3n3d?” Latula asked through her tears as she saw the violet streams sliding down his face and arms.

“who the FUCK does this fuckin BITC)( think she is” Meenah grabbed one of the rickety wooden chairs in the main room and hurled it at the wall to the left of the door. “that thing aint right it aint worked in fuckin CENTURIES how the FUCK did she get it into her sponge pan shit was fine to strap anemone into”

The chair shattered, the pieces clattering across the floor in all directions. Kankri, Porrim, and Aranea all blurted out admonishments and statements pleading with her to calm her wrath, to no avail.

“she didnt vwant to come back,” Cronus said, his voice exhausted. “she aint really minding her clawvs right nowv. is it bad?”

Latula wiped her eyes on her sleeve before ejecting a cloth from her inventory to daub at the marks on his face.

“1’m glad someone else th1nks 1 wasn’t overreact1ng,” Rufioh said, pacing in front of the door. “now you can’t say 1 1mag1ned that abom1nat1on.”

“YOU SEE IT BEFORE.” Damara asked. “WHEN.”

“about a week and a half ago… kankr1 and 1 both saw 1t but no one else d1d.”

“why the shell didnt you fuckin say so” Meenah asked as she snapped one of the many pieces of broken chair in half in her hands. “shit aint meant to exist we gotta track it down and KRILL it”

“1’m game.”

“SISTER FOR ONCE, I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLE HEARTEDLY,” Kurloz said.

“now, w41t 4 m1nut3!” Latula exclaimed, pausing in her treatment to turn on the others. “you’r3 just go1ng to m4k3 th1ngs wors3 for us 4ll 1f you do 1t now.”

“SLEEP BETTER IF ITS GONE.” Damara said. “WE HAVE DESTROYED BIGGER AND LESS BADLY MADE.”

“th4t’s not th3 1ssu3!!!”

“She has a po+int, Meenah,” Porrim said. “Until we have the ability to+ make it lo+o+k like an accident, we sho+uld wait and gather info+rmatio+n.”

“wa1t? for what? more p1lots to be strapped 1n?” Rufioh asked, his wings pressing against the back of the hoodie as they flared aggressively. “sh** a1n’t r1ght…”

“Alright, we need t9 start calming d9wn s9 we can make a l9gical decisi9n ab9ut this.” Kankri forced his voice into the frantic mix of shouts.

“MOST CERTAINLY, WE SHOULD NOT GIVE THEM THE LEISURE OF CONTINUING TO ROAM AND SHOULD TAKE MOST SWIFT ACTION TO END THEM,” Kurloz said, ignoring the plea.

“NO!!! b4b3z t4lk to h1m,” Latula pleaded.

“WHY SH0ULD 1? 1TS N0T L1KE ANYTH1NG 1 SAY W1LL MAKE A FUCK1NG D1FFERENCE.” Mituna stood, slouching and scowling as he flicked his eyes across the others in the room.

“youwve been good for a vweek and nowv youre hitting a fucking dowvn svwing?” Cronus asked, his eyebrow raised. “you vwould pick the vworst time.”

“WELL EXCUSE ME! 1 D1DNT KN0W 1T W0ULD B0THER ANYB0DY BECAUSE 1M JUST A FUCK1NG 1NC0NVEN1ENT PEST!”

“BROTHER, WHERE DID AS MUCH COME FROM? YOU HAD NOT AS OF YET MENTIONED ANYONE SAYING SUCH TO YOU.”

Mituna snorted, his eyes glowing as a few sparks escaped. “1TS WHAT Y0U D0NT SAY AND WHAT Y0U D0 THATS THE FUCK1NG PR0BLEM!”

“Every9ne needs t9 st9p with the yelling. We’re just triggering the vari9us anxiety pr9blems every9ne has and n9w we’re starting t9 take it 9ut 9n each 9ther and n9t the pe9ple wh9 are actually in the wr9ng."

Kankri was rigid, his hands raised as if he was attempting to create a barrier, and sign for the team to lower their negative energy in a single hand motion. His breath came in pants that rolled his shoulders rapidly, any prior defenses to such antics scaled back by weeks of scrambling to deal with entirely different problems.

“chief, hey, calm dowvn,” Cronus grabbed the edge of the other’s cloak and gently pulled him away from the center of the commotion. “breathe deep, it isnt the end of the vworld, vwewve… bleh, vwe hawve calmed dowvn from vworse.”

He came around and blocked Kankri’s view, eyes pleading as his hands hovered in an open circle around the other.

Kankri tried slowing his breaths, pulling on the collar of the poncho and casting his eyes down to remove distractions that might lead to increased overthinking.

“H9w l9ng have y9u 6een 6leeding?” The sentence came out in a tight squeak and every muscle in his body clenched.

Cronus’ hands shot up to his face reflexively. “sorry, tula got distracted helping me.”

“Why are y9u c9vering y9ur face? Was that 6leeding t99?”

Cronus pulled back his arms, noticing the drying trickles of his color. “vwhoops, she only vwiped at my face. didnt realize meenah got my arms so bad too.”

He pulled out a medicated wet wipe from his inventory and started to clean away the streaks.

“Meenah did this?” Kankri’s voice snapped from concerned to infuriated.

“no no no, not on purpose, she vwas just scrambling to go after the thing and i though vwe should meet up first. once she realized she had blood on her clawvs, she stopped.”

“Mew’re being too conservative,” Meulin’s voice, coming from an isolated corner of the room near where the boys had withdrawn, caught their attention. “Do mew really think the purrlots are going to want to be saved? No way we’ll have the resources to treat them, anyway. If they don’t go in the expurrlosion, they’ll go by infection thr33 painfurl weeks later.”

Horuss ran a reluctant hand through his hair and sighed. He stood over a worm rotted table, looking over a half dozen rough sketches before crumpling up the paper and calling out a new one. “(; > ^ < ;;) < You are most likely correct. The probability of them coming out unscathed is absolute zero and the idea that they might be salvageable is less than five percent. I only hesitate for the sake of any quadmates they leave behind.”

“I know, but its not like anymoewn comes out of that thing alive. If they were even old enough to have furiends or quads befur being claimed, they would have taken them fur dead by meow.”

“What?” Kankri asked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as his mind went blank.

“(;O A O;;)> Oh, Vantas, I’m sorry you had to over hear such a neighative conversation,” Horuss sputtered, twitching to attention and snapping his pencil in the process.

“Me too if mewr going to make a furss about it,” Meulin added, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And WHY sh9uldn’t I find such c9mments entirely questi9na6le? What if that was Mituna 9r Damara up there?”

“We wouldn’t let them be up there! We’re not talking about targeting or murrcy killing them, it’s an unfortunate casualty of war. Purrlus, in that state, they’ll be dead the second something hits the ship anyway. We don’t have medicullers like on Befurous, no special ops, just the twelve of us and way too many fureaking purroblems to fix.”

“tvwelvwe?” Cronus snapped his head up, a sinking feeling in his gut.

He spotted them standing towards the back of the room, puzzlement and concern stamped on their faces. Leaving Kankri to argue with Meulin, something he regretted while doing it, he quickly descended on the trio.

“not to be fucking rude or anything but wvho the fuck are you?” he asked, glaring and squaring his shoulders. “and vwhy are you in here?”

“THE NAME IS VIOREL AND I WITH MY KIN, SITARA AND LIVIUS, I WAS HELPING YOUR THREE COMPANIONS TRACK DOWN A HIVE TO PURCHASE WHEN THE SHIP FLEW BY. I FEEL IT A REQUIREMENT TO ASK IF THIS HAPPENS OFTEN.”

Cronus relaxed his shoulders as he began to recognize them from the orchard. “yeah, vwe all hawve fucking legendary tempers. i mean, you knowv vwe hawve psionics running around vwith us, so id think youd get vwhy vwe vwouldnt be too keen on those things. you look like you might knowv about vwhats up vwith them?”

“no one is keen on tHem, tHougH most would consider it treasonous to speak sucH aloud. tHe question is How none of you seem to know yourselves,” Livius questioned. “tHe four eyes of tHe empress roam the entire empire, only returning to the capital once a sweep. tHe likeliHood tHat none of you Have ever seen even one of tHem is extremely unlikely.”

“THERES FOUR OF THOSE A8OMINATIONS?” Cronus shouted.

“(; O Д O ;;)! < Four? Did you just say what I think you did?” Horuss called across the small distance.

“yeah,” Cronus replied before returning his attention to Livius. “vwhen abouts do they take their once a svweep break?”

“during the twelfth perigee, when the winter is its most cruel,” Sitara explained. “there is little anyone can do at such a time.”

“maybe not you guys but there is no amount of fucking snowv going to stop this.” He turned and gestured to the chaotic mess that continued to thrive behind them as the group continued to argue, bargain, and plead for what they thought was best for the group.

“cronus, 1 n33d your h3lp,” Latula said, breaking away from the crowd and nearing him. “1 c4n’t g3t tun4 and kurloz to stop f1ght1ng. 1ts so b4d tun4 c4n’t 3v3n sp1t out wh4t h3’s s4y1ng 4nd 1 know th1ngs h4v3 b33n b4d but you’r3 th3 only on3 who…”

“1M N0T FUCK1NG BR0KEN! WHY THE FUCK D0 Y0U KEEP UP W1TH THE FUCK1NG GRUB GL0VES!” Mituna spouted sparks up his horns, startling his bees up into the air and creating a smell of heating honey in the air.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” Kurloz’s booming voice drowned out the other arguments as he flailed his arms pleadingly.

“H0W AB0UT TH1S F0R STARTERS?” In two long strides, Mituna closed the space between them, grabbed Kurloz by the wrist and pulled up his sleeve.

Scratches and cuts, freshly scabbed and a few open from the swift removal of their only covering, marked up the inside of the exposed arm between light grey scars. Kurloz caught his breath, eyes wide as he stared at the oozing purple wounds. Mituna’s knuckles turned white as he clamped harder than he realized, tears escaping the corner of his eyes.

“Y0U USED T0 TALK T0 ME AB0UT TH1S.” His words were choked and gruff. “Y0U T0LD ME WHEN Y0U WERE FEEL1NG L1KE TH1S AND WE HASHED 1T 0UT. 1M S0RRY 1 WAS G0NE F0R S0 L0NG. MAYBE Y0URE RIGHT N0T T0 TRUST ME ANY M0RE.”

Mituna’s lips opened to continue but no more words came out. A strangled grunt was all that escaped as he slumped where he stood. Several alarmed cries accompanied his fall, quelling some of the fighting.

“vwhat did i fucking say about your timing?” Cronus asked as he caught Mituna under the arms.

He set him gently on the ground, laying him down and turning him on his side. Mituna wasn’t shaking violently this time, though he was ejecting bursts of his blue and red energy as his breaths came ragged and quick.

Cronus placed a cold hand over Mituna’s eyes and heated forehead even as the painful sparks flew. “stop that. getting frustrated is only gonna make it vworse. vwell sort this shit out, skeletors just in a bad vway and you hawvent had time to get him alone. thats vwhat hes vwaiting for. youll get there but you hawve to calm dowvn first.”

The sparks diminished and Cronus pulled his hand back, gave a mock punch to Mituna’s shoulder and stood to approach Kurloz who stood stock still staring blankly ahead. He noted out of the corner of his eye that their guests, who no one else seemed to notice, had started to approach their clown brother but he waved them off.

“kur its time to snap out of it,” he said, pulling the rolled-up sleeve back down.

Aside from a flinch at the reapplication of the tight, scab covered cloth to the area, Kurloz continued to look past everyone and away in his own thoughts.

Cronus grabbed the other’s shoulders and gave a solid shake. “i mean it, kurloz. snap out of it.”

The clown slowly blinked, but his countenance only darkened. With one swift movement, the sea dweller released one hand and slapped Kurloz sharply across the cheek. Snarling, he came to attention, fixing Cronus with a dark glare.

Despite the shutter that ran down his spine, he maintained an even return gaze. “yeah, sure, be mad at me, vwhatewver, but im not letting you go dead eyes evwer again. nowv apologize to the brat and help or go sit in the corner until your heads on straight.”

“Um, excuse me but when did slapping become part of the team purrlay book?” Meulin asked, crashing onto the scene with heat in her eyes.

Cronus sighed and did a mock sweeping bow. “do you vwanna take owver kitty cat? be my guest seeing as howv i hawve a legendary pair of leggings to unvwind.”

He turned to head back in the direction of Kankri who had long since stopped listening to Horuss’ floundering attempts to win him over to their logic.

“sea this the shit im talkin about” Meenah’s voice echoed in the gradually quieting hall, one final crescendo of their fight. “got us all up in a fuckin mess so we need to get at that ship and torpedo it out a the sky.”

“N9! W9ULD Y9U JUST ST9P!” Kankri shouted, causing a thousand memories to spring to life as he spun around to face them. “IF Y9U HAD ALL JUST CALMED D9WN AND TALKED A69UT THIS LIKE ADULTS 9R AT LEAST LIKE TR9LLS WH9 KN9W H9W T9 6L99DY LISTEN, Y9U W9ULD KN9W THAT THERE ARE F9UR 9F THESE C9NTRAPTI9NS FLYING AR9UND THE PLANET. AND IF Y9U HAD DECIDED T9 USE S9ME C9MM9N SENSE REAS9NING Y9U W9ULD HAVE DEDUCED THAT TAKING 9UT 9NE W9ULD 9NLY RESULT IN CAUSING THE 9THER THREE T9 RAIN DEATH 9NT9 EVERY9NE ELSE 9N THE FUCKING PLANET. IF WE GET CAUGHT THEN MEENAH 6EC9MES THE IDI9T HEIRESS WH9 CAUSES PR9BLEMS F9R EVERY9NE AND 9UR CREDI6ILITY IS SH9T AND IF WE D9N’T A CASTE WAR 6REAKS 9UT AS EVERY9NE 6LAMES EVERY9NE ELSE F9R THE DEATH 6EAMS FR9M THE SKY! I D9N’T UNDERSTAND H9W A SINGLE GR9UP C9ULD 6E S9 WILLFULLY IGN9RANT. THIS IS WHY 9UR ALTERNATIVE SELVES WENT D9WN IN AN UNH9LY MASS 9F FLAMES AND DEATH. IS THAT WHAT ALL 9F Y9U WANT? 6ECAUSE N9T EVEN A PERIGEE AG9 I SEEM T9 RECALL EVERY9NE 6EING 9N 69ARD WITH LEARNING FR9M 9UR MISTAKES, AND THEIR MISTAKES, AND N9T PLUNGING THE ENTIRE PLANET INT9 6L99DSHED. AND IF THAT WAS A LIE FR9M ALL 9R S9ME 9F Y9U, I HAVE T9 SAY THIS 6EHAVI9R IS A6S9LUTELY TRIGGERING!!! AND… CR9NUS!”

“What the fuck?” Porrim exclaimed at the same time, pushing away the offending appendage that had latched onto her breast.

“i panicked,” Cronus replied, wide eyed look confirming as much as he whispered his hoarse reply. “sorry, tunas dowvn for the count.”

A slow look of knowing crept onto Porrim’s face, easing away the glow and fangs that she was baring as Kankri descended on the sea dweller. He pulled his arms to his chest, twisting his fingers together, as his fins drooped and lower lip pushed out in a pout while he tuned back in to what Kankri was saying to wait for his opportunity to strike.”

“…THAT Y9U W9ULD 6EHAVE IN SUCH AN APPAULING MANNER AFTER EVERYTHING. AFTER Y9U HAVE 6EEN S9 V9CAL AND PR9DUCTIVE IN LEAVING EVERYTHING WE HAD T9 L9ATH 6EHIND, I JUST CANN9T FATH9M WHY Y9U W9ULD, AT A TIME SUCH AS THIS N9 LESS, TAKE SUCH VULGER ACTI9NS IN PU6LUC AND WITH9UT PERMISSI9N.”

Even the most legendary of ranters needed to take a breath eventually. Cronus didn’t let it go to waste.

“im sorry kankri, and porrim. it was a stupid thing to do, youre right. i guess vwith the sighting it just reminded me that vwe dont really belong here yet and vwhen ewveryone started fighting and fainting on top of that, it just triggered some of my old bad habits from then.”

Silence filled the room, the rant had taken everyone’s voice away and this almost blatant cry for pale affection, for emotional solace, in front of not only friends but the three strangers who had pushed forward to try to intervene, had stopped even their breath. Kankri’s shoulders went from heaving to slow as his scowl faded to an exhausted, wet expression of defeat.

“Right, I supp9se I’m n9t helping that.”

“vwell, you got ewveryone to shut up,” Cronus said, his mischievous smile partially returning as his facial fins raised from their submissive slump with a twitch. “and i think you got them all to get the picture about vwhat vwe need to do.”

He looked around at everyone, but stopped with his eyes on Meenah. She wore a frown, not that anyone was smiling at the moment, and her hands shook as they squeezed around the shaft of her 2x3dent. With a flash of gold in the dim room and a loud clatter, she threw the weapon onto the ground.

“FIN we wont glubbin do shit about it right now but i aint fuckin happy about it”

“1 know, 4nd 1’m sorry,” Latula said, nearly collapsing over Mituna as he still lay on the ground recovering. Her glasses had fallen of and deep trenchlike bags lined under her eyes. “b3l13v3 m3, 1 w4nt th3m gon3 too, 4nd 1 w4nt th1ngs to b3 3v3n 4 l1ttl3 s4f3 for 3v3ryon3, but w3 h4v3 n3xt to no mon3y, no h1v3, 4nd no fr13nds 1n th1s fuck3d up world.”

“NOW, SISTER, I THINK YOU HAVE YOUR BLESSINGS A LITTLE MISCOUNTED.” Viorel finally addressed the room, startling those who had still managed not to see him. “NOT ONLY HAVE YOU TWELVE FRIENDS WHO CARE ENOUGH TO HAVE THESE SORTS OF FIGHTS INSTEAD OF SULLENLY WAXING INDIFFERENT AT ONE ANOTHER, BUT YOU HAVE ALSO MADE THREE NEW ONES WHO WISH TO SEE YOU SUCCEED. AS FOR A HIVE,” he gestured with his arms to the building around them, “I BELIEVE WE HAD ESTABILISHED THAT THIS WOULD MAKE A KEEN HOME FOR YOU ALL. IT IS LATE, THE SUN SHALL SOON RISE ON THIS CRISP DAY, AND WE WILL PUT WORD IN THAT YOU WILL PAY IN DUE TIME TO THE CURRENT OWNER. SO BED DOWN HERE FOR THE DAY, MY OUT OF TIME FRIENDS, AND TAKE ON YOUR QUERIES IN SECURITY.”

He stopped to place a supportive hand between Kurloz’ horns, who looked up with an expression equal parts devastated and ashamed. “AND IN THE MIDEVENING, OR THERE ABOUTS, WE SHALL RETURN WITH THE OWNER TO COLLECT YOUR PAY. YOU MAY NOT BUY YOUR TIME THE SWEEP OR SO YOU HAVE UNTIL THE NEXT CONSCRIPTION, BUT EVEN A STAY OF A FEW PERIGEES SHOULD PROVE USEFUL TO YOUR CAUSE. WHAT SAY YOU?”

Horuss jumped when Viorel looked at him, snapped out of his straight-faced stare at where Meulin sat still trying to coax Kurloz out of his funk. “(Ò Д Ó ;;) < Y-yes, well, I STRONGLY suspect that if we succeed in corralling some unbroken part of the mareket we shall have the funds to construct something to successfully put down all four of the rides at once by their winter stabling that will not only be untraceable nor compromise any pilots, who will likely be unplugged at that time, but will also look enough like normal wear that they won’t have any other conclusion to draw than that it simply fell apart.”

“Thank y9u, H9russ, that s9unds like a very w9rka6le plan,” Kankri said, truly grateful that his concerns had been heeded.

“there, and see how it all winds up? we shall take our leave and see you on the morrow,” Sitara said as she and the others made their way to the door.

Viorel stopped and turned back. Kurloz had grabbed onto his wrist and was staring up at him, voodoos brimming. The twitch down the older clown’s spine was almost indistinguishable, but the atmosphere was so tense and still that everyone noticed it as they watched the pair intently. This shudder had apparently been the answer that Kurloz sought as he released the hand and killed his thrumming powers, waving a silent goodbye to the others.

When they left, it was as if the skin of a water balloon had popped and they were the water inside. A nervous tension dissolved away and the group slumped. Those who had lost their tempers fell to the floor as their anger and conflicting feelings froze into an unknowable mess. Some who had maintained their composure throughout suddenly bristled and shouted as the situation died. More than a few tears began to shed as several locks were added to the front door.

Someone suggested they should all head upstairs and crawl into their mats to sleep off their sullen moods and save their plotting for the evening. Another reasoned they might need to talk things out on top of that. The group climbed the creaking steps and parted off to different spots with only a few half-hearted complaints about the arrangements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter just kept going and going and going... :,,,( To be honest, I wanted it to even have a bit more at the end but I managed to think of a way to put that at the start of the next chapter. It's a chaotic chapter for a chaotic moment in their lives. Thanks as always for reading!


	18. Unraveling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they settle in for the day, Cronus, Kankri, Mituna, and Kurloz begin to treat wounds both inside and out.

On the top floor of their new hive, twelve exhausted and emotionally drained trolls began filing into rooms. Cronus pushed the dissociating Kurloz ahead of him into the room closet to the stairs while he supported Mituna with his other arm. Latula held her matesprit’s hand, having been assured that aside from the stairs, he didn’t need much help. Meulin and Kankri brought up the rear of the progression, both avoiding eye contact.

“hey, kan, could you help mit into the room and givwe me a minute?”

Kankri furrowed his brow at Cronus, but decided to comply. As they headed in after Kurloz, Cronus positioned himself in front of Meulin and gently peeled Latula’s hand free of her tight grip.

“What are mew doing?” Meulin’s voice was a dangerous growl.

“listen, ladies, i totally appreciate vwhat youre trying to do, but right nowv they need some guy time to sort this out vwithout vworrying about their flushes jumping in. plus, i think you twvo could benefit from talking to your moirails or other friends.”

Meulin’s pinched features fell as she looked over and spotted Horuss leaning against one of the doors, staring at the others who were still deciding how best to split themselves up to not be excluding or risk riling up any old wounds in the still tense atmosphere.

Cronus leaned in and whispered in her ear. “a distressed horse and riled up fairy are much more likely to make stupid if they’re left alone.”

A begrudging growl escaped her lips.

“If mew pull any fureaking shit, I’ll furck you up.”

Cronus nodded and Meulin trotted off towards her moirail.

“cronus, 1 l1t3r4lly c4n’t not b3 1n th3r3 4ft3r th4t,” Latula said.

“you can and you vwill. you need a break. i sawv those bags under your eyes.”

“h3 just h4d 4 s31zur3, h3 n33ds h3lp 4nd Kurloz 1s not 1n th3 r1ght st4te of m1nd to do it.”

“kankri and i both knowv howv to take care of the aftermath of seizures. hell be okay.”

“but…”

“hey gillfrond i need to talk and apologize to you. come stay wit me so we can get our glub on,” Meenah said, coming up and slinging her arm around Latula’s shoulder.

Looking back to demand again to be let in, Latula was greeted by Cronus placing a hand on her head between her horns and leaning in close.

“you just got done asking me to help sort this out, so let me sort it out.”

“come on gill i got some muck in my deck to sort out your stress lines lets go”

This time, when Meenah pulled, Latula followed. They entered a room with Aranea and Rufioh. Cronus flicked his eyes around and noticed that the remaining four had split in two for a more private day. Satisfied that everyone had a place, Cronus clicked the door shut and called out his bed roll.

The other three were waiting inside, their own mats unfurled and placed one beside the other towards the center of the decently sized room. It was about the size of the living/kitchen/dining front room of the rental property from Little Calli. Three windows with blackout curtains lined the outside wall. There were obviously a few leaks and perhaps a bloodstain or two, but overall it was clean enough to sleep in.

Kurloz was sitting cross legged and staring down in silence while Mituna was lying next to him on his own mat. Cronus sighed at the miserable expressions before unfurling his sleeping mat next to Kurloz, noting Kankri, back in his sweater, sorting through his silladex on the opposite side of the group.

“hey,” Cronus said, giving a gentle yank on Kurloz’ closest horn to get his attention. “you need to change out of that onesie. its cowvered in scabs and its going to give you an infection.”

After a moment of silence, a myriad of colors lit up the room overhead. Kurloz slowly turned his head back and forth, searching the flashing rainbow for the strings of what he needed. A small flash and the colors clicked off, leaving the other room occupants blinking in what seemed total darkness. When their eyes readjusted, Kurloz had switched his regular outfit into a baggy pair of black pants with purple and grey swirls, and a sleeveless shirt with his sign emblazoned across the center.

The others tried not to catch their breath or stare as more of the marks were exposed and a pain settled in each of their pushers. Mituna pushed himself up and placed his head on his moirail’s shoulder while wrapping an arm around his neck.

“WHY?” It was all the psionic’s racing mind could think to say.

“sorry.” Kurloz’s voice was low and flat, his heart warring with itself between the dark emotions in his pan and the warmth pressing into him.

Cronus and Kankri tried not to stare as they gave the pair a few moments of quiet. Eventually, Cronus prodded Mituna’s shoulder.

“hey, giwve me a minute to get in here and clean these things up.”

Mituna let out a growl and squeezed tighter.

“N9w, Mituna, I understand y9ur reluctance, 6ut at the same time, I can tell 6y the smell 9f 6urnt sugar that y9u need medical attenti9n t99.” Kankri kept his voice soft as he tugged gently on the other’s shoulder.

This time it was a whine that released his protest. All the same, dictated by the searing pain on his skull, he gave one final squeeze before letting his arm collapse and allowed himself to be guided backwards.

As his head settled in Kankri’s lap with one final grunted complaint, the seer of blood gave a dry chuckle and pressed a claw to his patient’s cheek. “And n9t a week ag9 I seem t9 recall y9u w9uldn’t st9p whining a69ut me t9uching y9u. N9w y9u’re c9mplaining that I am.”

Mituna stuck out his tongue. Cronus turned from gently wiping a medicated wipe over Kurloz’ arm.

“vwait a minute. i specifically asked you if anyone had been giwving you shit and you said no.”

Kankri flinched as he realized his mistake. “Well, the situati9n had changed sh9rtly 6ef9re y9u arrived and I did n9t think it was an appr9priate time t9 6ring it up 6ecause I did n9t wish f9r it t9 dev9lve int9 a fight early 9n. Als9, it pr9ved necessary f9r me t9 6egin w9rking 9n 9verc9ming my t9uch aversi9n anyway.”

“that doesnt giwve him an excuse to be an asshole.”

“1M ALWAYS AN ASSH0LE.”

There were a thousand comebacks that rushed to his mind, but the bloody cloth in his hand was enough to convince Cronus to roll his eyes and turn back to the miserable clown in front of him. He looked up at Kurloz’ face and his heart sank as he saw that empty, teary-eyed, bark beast look.

“if youre going to cry, hurry up and do it. and talk vwhile youre at it. im not about to stare at that miserable visage all day.”

“SER10USLY? THATS H0W Y0U PLAN T0 TALK WHEN HES– 0W!”

Mituna had begun to push himself up off of Kankri’s lap before feeling a tug on his small horns, forcing him back down. Kankri leaded over until they locked eyes.

“Y9u are n9t g9ing t9 help this situati9n 6y 6eing aggressive every step 9f the way. Making things a 6it unc9mf9rta6le t9 c9nfr9nt the pr96blems and thinking err9rs causing relati9nship issues is 9ne 9f the t99ls 9f a middle leaf. With y9u and Kurl9z fighting n9t an h9ur ag9, I’d say Cr9nus deserves a chance at filling that r9ll.”

Mituna gave a snort. “1F THATS WHAT TH1S 1S WHY THE HELL ARE Y9U HERE?”

Kankri gave a small poke to the raw and bleeding scalp he was attempting to clear the burnt honey off of while the purple bees flew around the room. “Cr9nus 9nly has tw9 hands and that’s n9t nearly en9ugh f9r tw9 patients. Als9, I’m pr9viding a 6it 9f supervisi9n.”

“0H, S0 WERE CALLING 1T ‘SUPERV1S1NG’ N0W?”

A faint blush colored Kankri’s features. “This is a69ut y9ur and Kurl9z’s issues, n9t mine and Cr9nus’s. S9 hush.”

The simple phrase was enough to elicit a chuckle out of both Mituna and Cronus, though Kurloz still seemed lost to the world around him.

After applying an antibiotic cream to the cleaned wounds, Cronus deftly wrapped both arms from the wrists to just below the elbow.

“there, nowv dont touch em. and show me vwhere the rest are or ill look for them myself.”

Slowly, Kurloz lifted his head, a tear finally managing to fall, as he whispered, “brother, how is it after all this time that you can still find yourself able to care for me? after how i have wronged you, haven’t I gained your eternal ire?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG this chapter. I sat down two days ago to outline it and the outline was over 2000 words long. I normally triple my word count once dialogue becomes involved so I knew if I wanted to get a chapter out sometime this week, I needed to scale it back. I was able to get it written yesterday, but my internet at work dropped off and I wasn't able to get it publish. Then today, when I started my laptop it froze and I had to kill it and for a moment, it looked like I had lost the chapter. But I didn't so we're good! Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading.


	19. Lines of Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conversation continues, and emotions run high. But answers start to come out into the open, and perhaps a large piece of the puzzle has been revealed.

The question hung in the air like lead. Cronus, not suspecting the situation to so quickly be placed on his shoulders took a moment to fumble up an answer.

“vwhat? owver you deciding you vwere done vwith me? maybe iwve been angry about it here and there, but i vwas more hurt than anything. and maybe a little scared vwhen you started posturing all aggressiwve vwith your vwoodoos leaking all owver.” 

“0W!” Mituna flinched as Kankri peeled a piece of burnt sugar off of his scalp. His pain morphed into scolding. “D0ES ANY0NE PLAN T0 EXPLA1N THE1R SH1T 0R AM 1 JUST SUPP0SED T0 EXTRAP0LATE C0NTEXT 0UT 0F Y0UR ASSH0LES?”

Cronus pursed his lips in a pout, “kur aint exactly lighting up landing strips here either.”

Mituna exclaimed again as another piece of wounded flesh came away. Kankri frowned and picked up the bottle of liquid wound care and pain reliever at his side to further saturate the sensitive area.

“Every9ne will get the chance t9 fully explain their mem9ries and feelings, 6ut as the c9nversati9n is currently sitting in y9ur lap, Cr9nus, w9uld y9u 6e s9 kind as t9 start the pr9cess 9f untangling the lines 9f misc9mmunicati9n s9 we can have s9mething c9ncrete t9 m9ve f9rward with.”

The pout changed to a grimace, but Cronus agreed. “just givwe me one of your legs so i can keep going on this.”

Kurloz stretched out the limb as asked, shivering as the flesh, well up past the knee, was exposed to the air and three pitying gazes.

“i think all our problems can be traced back to that stupid game. but i suppose the issues between US started with the accident. when tuna didnt showv up to the quest bed, i vwent looking for him. thought he was owver thinking or had gotten cold feet. vwhen i got there, seeing all the purple and the yellow and feeling this dark foulness in the air, i panicked. dont knowv anyone wvho vwouldnt. i vwas first on the scene, i didnt knowv vwhat vwas going on. so, same as alvways, my first reaction was to fall on mit and start yelling and shaking to get an answver. course he vwasnt exactly avwake but that vwouldnt get through to me and my shit spouting blab nub anytime soon.

“im not saying i vwas right, cause shaking and screaming at an unconscious person isnt really the ‘right’ vway to go about any situation. but I vwas still shocked by vwhat came after. its not like that vwas the first time i let my emotions get out of control or that tuna and i had vwound up jumping dowvn each others throats over something stupid. but it vwas the first time vwhere, instead of throwving an arm around the pair of us and getting us back on track, i found myself showved aside and glared at vwith brimming voodoos and a sense of malice by a red eyed kurloz vwith blood leaking out of fresh stitched lips.”

The image presented itself in his mind’s eye, causing Cronus to shudder. “and i get it, kur vwas just as shocked and upset as me, and i tried approaching again, but things stayed tense vwhen vwe started the reset. honestly, i started to think that despite meulins and mitunas best efforts, i vwasnt really dealing vwith kur anymore. and it didnt help that i knewv so much of it vwas my fault. the hope players job is to shatter the doomed prophecies and change a losing scenario into a vwinning one.”

“1 D0NT GET WHY Y0U KEEP TRY1NG T0 SAY 1T WAS Y0UR FAULT BECAUSE 1 KNEW JUST AS MUCH AS Y0U D1D WHAT W0ULD HAPPEN 1F 1 WENT T0 SEE KURL0Z R1GHT AWAY 1NSTEAD 0F KEEP1NG 0UR PLANNED MEET1NG BUT 1 WENT ANYWAY.”

“yeah, vwell i couldve just gone through vwith it on my owvn instead of deciding to go harass you about being late.”

“We are getting far t99 9ff track,” Kankri said, raising his voice slightly over the crescendoing argument beginning between the pair. “6lame claiming is just as ann9ying and unhelpful as 6lame gra66ing s9 I w9uld appreciate it if y9u st9p d9ing it every time we attempt t9 s9rt 9ut this mess.”

The pair fell quiet and some of the tension drained from the room as a few silent moments were devoted to the current physical wounds plaguing them. Cronus wrapped both the lower and upper halves of the left leg in his lap before setting it down and drawing the right one close to him.

As deft but soft touches moved over the sore wounds that had festered for weeks and longer, Kurloz let out a shaky sigh before mumbling, “sorry.”

Cronus looked up but before he could reply, the words began to trickle past once sealed lips before bursting like a weakened dam.

“the first time was for the shock of it all. in the pain and confusion, i did not rightly know who it was i was lashing out at. i just had in my inner mind this sense that mituna was in danger most dire and did attempt to see to it that the trouble ended. regret sank in once that hurt and fear filled face came through as one i held in friendship and trust. but between my own mutilation and the decent of others somehow alerted, i found no place to speak apologies. and then when the sister aranea did declare that not even her light talents could purge the damage, how much more did it weigh on me that the two i held to my pusher were destroyed for my benefit.”

Kurloz coughed as he fought to keep his tears from overwhelming his senses.

“and i KNEW plain as a night when both moons stand full in the sky that you, my ocean brother, did have the knowledge of how this all happened. you knew of my role in that unfortunate game and the habits of my own that placed the pair of them in danger. when that look of betrayal filled my eyes, i felt in my heart of hearts that it would not be long until the world came bearing down on me for my misdeeds. but it never happened? indeed, most of our kin remained as mindless as ever to my voodoos and the tangling way they can infect a pan. and as it was i faded into the background, remembered but rarely seen as more than a victim while you stood with the light you radiate drawing in hatred and ire for every slip up of the dark side of the mind that you had no recourse to work out in private as all ought.”

A soft smack sounded from across the mat. Both cold bloods turned quickly enough to see Mituna casually backhand Kankri across the face.

“hey! dont go starting shit like that,” Cronus said, his fins flaring aggressively before he could think to stop them. “kanny vwas one of the only ones wvho gawve me the time of day. its not his fault i hardly brought up more than surface level complaints. ewveryone vwas already owvervwhelmed by their owvn problems that i didnt vwant to chase off anyone else.”

“1T ST1LL SEEMS L1KE THE FACT THAT Y0U HAD T0 TH1NK THAT 1S PRETTY FUCK1NG UNFA1R AFTER 0NE ACC1DENT Y0U HAD N0TH1NG T0 D0 W1TH,” Mituna insisted.

“Perhaps y9u are c9rrect,” Kankri said as he placed the final piece of tape on the gauze wrapping around the base of the injured horn. “At the very least, I have c9ncluded that my reservati9ns and stand9ffish attitude went 9n f9r far l9nger than they had any right t9. H9wever, at the time immediately ar9und the accident, the cheating, the l9ss 9f relati9nships that 6y all rights sh9uld 6e, and all the fighting and 6laming were t99 much. It seemed as if everything I th9ught I knew a69ut relati9nships was wr9ng, and I made s9me l9ud 6lanket statements that sl9wly c9nsumed me.”

A heavy pall of guilt and internalized loathing settled on the group as the conversation stalled once more. Both patients had been seen to, so there was no longer even the distraction of care to fill those moments. The least likely to mire in such emotions willingly, Mituna rolled himself upright so he could properly see the other members of the group.

“WHAT 1 D0NT GET 1S 1F Y0U KNEW CR0 WAS JUST BE1NG AN ASS DUE T0 FRUSTRAT10N AND THAT HE WASNT RUNN1NG AR0UND 0UT1NG Y0UR NEUR0SES T0 EVERY0NE THEN WHY D1D Y0U KEEP PUSH1NG H1M AWAY? WAS 1T THE WH0LE Y0U TH0UGHT HE HATED Y0U TH1NG 0R DID Y0U DEC1DE T0 DEVEL0P A GU1LT C0MPLEX WH1LE 1 WAS T00 0UT 0F 1T T0 ST0P Y0U?”

Kurloz gave a wet, humorless bark of a laugh as he moved his arm to wipe at the stagnant moisture on his face. Before he could reach his eyes with the fresh bandages, he found a clean towel hurled in his face that he used instead.

“i figure it is a bit of the two,” he said.

Mituna nodded his head encouragingly, but when nothing more came, he pressed the issue. “0KAY AND THAT MEANS WHAY EXACTLY?”

A small flare of frustration pulsed through him and he snapped. “IT MEANS i wasn’t so much thinking he hated me as much as i knew it. it is the same with each here, they despise me though for some reason they do keep it to themselves. and is it not my own guilt, taking to myself red tinted quadmates who i knew would recognize their hatred in their own time?”

“WHAT THE FUCK 1S THAT SUPP0SED T0 MEAN?!” Mituna was on in feet in an instant, sparking and screaming without regard to his current state.

Kurloz let his eyes and face drop, unmoving and submissive to whatever might be said or done.

Kankri was not as slow or accepting. Having followed the psionic up, he latched onto his arm and pulled him back down towards the ground. As exhaustion and distress sapped what little energy Mituna had, it was not much of a fight.

“Wait a m9ment, Mituna. Kurl9z, h9w did y9u c9me t9 kn9w that we all hate y9u?”

Kurloz’s disposition had changed when whatever rant or offense that Mituna was priming for was cut off. Whether from shock or from disappointment in the stalling of what he deemed inevitable, it was unclear. The growling upset in his voice was not.

“OF COURSE, ALL LOATHE ME. I HAVE WATCHED SINCE WRIGGLERHOOD AS IT WANNED AND WAXED IN EVERY PUSHER, YET IT ALWAYS REMAINED. THESE WRETCHED LINES OF IRE THAT BIND US ALL TOGETHER. BLACK AS PITCH AND THE SOURCE OF OUR LOATHED DISCONTENT.”

Kankri’s shoulders slumped as his suspicion was confirmed. It seemed so unlikely, yet made a certain amount of sense when combined with past interactions.

“9h, Kurl9z, n9…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last cliff hanger, I promise I'll get this wrapped up in the next chapter. Thank you as always for reading!


	20. Breakthrough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wounds don't heal overnight, but the conversations that get started pave the way forward to change.

_“givwe it 8ACK you sack of rotten honey!” _

_“UP Y0URS F1SH F0R BRA1NS! 1F Y0U WANT Y0U PREC10US WAND BACK C0ME AND TAKE 1T FR0M ME!”_

_The five-sweep-olds glared at each other across the garden where their play had gotten out of hand, just as it had before. _

_“fine, i vwill!” Cronus declared, unlatching his cape and lunging forward. _

_Mituna sparked, sending waves of psionic energy towards the other. A blinding light rippled off of Cronus’ skin, unbidden like every other time he lost his temper at that young age, dispelling the attack faster than his opponent could change his expression to one of shock. _

_Cronus collided into Mituna, sending them both to the ground with a heavy thud. _

_“its kannys and you knowv it! just giwve it back!” _

_“1F HE WANTS 1T S0 BAD WHY D0ESNT HE C0ME GET 1T? Y0URE N0T H1S M01RA1L!”_

_Cronus sneered, his scleras darkening to red as his arm raised. “SHUT UP!” _

_Before he could swing, his arm was blocked. His space was intruded by a thin but still massive presence. _

_“HEY NOW, MY BROTHERS, LET’S NOT COME TO BLOWS AND DAMAGE THAT CENTER OF TRUST WE HAVE,” Kurloz said. His voice was cheerful as he fluidly pulled Cronus off and pulled both boys into a tight but friendly hold. _

_“vwhat trust? howv can i trust anyone wvhos a little jerk to people wvho arent ewven his kissmesis?” Cronus squirmed and growled even as he felt his anger start to abate. _

_“0H SHUT UP Y0URE 0NLY MAD BECAUSE Y0URE TRY1NG T0 SH0W 0FF.”_

_“no!”_

_“YES!” _

_The boys squealed as they found themselves falling backwards onto the grass as Kurloz flopped himself down. _

_“NOW DIDN’T I JUST SAY WE WERE GOING TO LET THIS GO? GIVE BACK WHAT WAS TAKEN AND NOT LET SUCH TRIVALITY CAUSE IRE TO FLARE?” _

_“BUT!”_

_“but!”_

_“NO MORE FIGHTING OVER AN EMPTY NOTEBOOK BECAUSE WE ARE ALL FRIENDS!” _

_Kurloz began to rock side to side, picking up first one grump, then the other before plopping them back onto the grass while repeating “WE’RE FRIENDS” over and over. It took less than two minutes of this playful interaction to melt down the anger and frowns into giggles and half-hearted complaints. _

_Kankri, who had stood just inside the entrance to the garden after retrieving Kurloz as the others began to fight, finally approached, a sigh of relief on his lips as the anger passed. He held himself close as he looked down at the giggling trio a wistful look bleeding into his normally stoic face. _

_“KANKRI! YOU’RE OUR FRIEND TOO!” Kurloz declared, stopping his rocking as the other came into view. “COME HERE, BROTHER.”_

_Faster than Kankri could flee or protest, his clown friend sat up and grabbed the shorter troll by the shoulders and pulling him back with him. _

_“Kurl9z! 6e careful!” _

_“I GOT YOU, BROTHER. NOW EVERYBODY MAKE UP AND LET’S PLAY SOMETHING MORE FUN.”_

“9h, Kurl9z, n9…”

The exhausted remark slipped out in the present, turning the others’ attention to Kankri, a look of weary understanding on his face. “While y9u are c9rrect t9 think that th9se lines represent hatred, y9u are mistaken t9 think it is genuine l9athing and n9t the r9mantic kind 9f feeling. Y9u are als9 mistaken t9 6elieve th9se lines are all there are; th9ugh as they are all y9u can see, which is a 6it surprising I might add, it is understanda6le that the mistake might 6e made.”

“AND HOW IS IT YOU KNOW THAT I AM SO MISTAKEN?” Kurloz asked.

“Simply from my 9wn experience. I can see the lines t99, and fr9m 9ur interacti9n with the beta tr9ll gr9up, I kn9w Nepeta can see them as well. In 69th 9f 9ur experiences, the lines c9me in all f9ur c9l9rs 9f the relati9nship grid. Every single 9ne 9f us are c9nnected 6y 6lack, red, pink, and grey. They fluctuate and s9metimes change, 6ut n9t 9nce have I seen 9ne fully sever 9r c9mpletely flip. There is 9nly 9ne situati9n where I w9uld feel true c9ncern, and n9ne 9f y9ur lines h9ld that s9rt 9f festering.”

Pain was etched across Kurloz’ face as the tears began to fall again. “don’t lead me to falsehoods, no matter how blessed your intention be. please.”

“Think a69ut it this way. D9 y9u feel as if y9u hate Mituna?”

“NEVER!”

“D9 y9u despise myself 9r Cr9nus 9r the rest 9f 9ur c9mpani9ns?”

“not as such.”

“Then d9es that n9t pr9ve it with9ut anything I c9uld say t9 c9nvince y9u? Relati9nships fl9w 69th ways, and any difference is n9t s9 maj9r as t9 c9mpletely flip 9n its head. If y9u can 6elieve y9u have ever cared f9r any9ne and truly felt th9se 6righter em9ti9ns, even if 9nly as a child 6ef9re y9u underst99d what the lines meant, then I feel what I have said speaks f9r itself.”

Kurloz sat silent, staring down and letting all that had been said churn in his mind. He hugged his knees close to his chest, aware of eyes trained on his claws, his fangs, and searching for anything that could be hidden in his hands.

“by festering, do you mean what was happening with the line connection the two of those in the younger group?”

“Yes,” Kankri confirmed. “Th9ugh it happened a few times with 9ur 9wn t99. Time was en9ugh t9 mend th9se c9rrupti9ns within a few perigees.”

Kurloz nodded in a slow, continuous motion, his sight far off as the others carefully observed his half-painted face. “so does that mean, brother, you are privy to the full secrets hidden in each of our pushers?”

Kankri blinked and remained silent. It was not that this very idea had not crossed his mind before, it had delighted and disgusted him in turns over the sweeps, but he had never given thought on how he would discuss the accusation if he were ever faced with it.

“N9t as much as y9u might think. The lines in all f9ur shades c9nnect every9ne, even if there is n9 relati9nship 6eyond friends and likely never will 6e. This d9esn’t even acc9unt f9r the relati9nships that are s9 p9werful and vi6rant that a quadrant seems inevita6le, yet is lacking. N9r d9es it explain relati9nships, that 6y all rights never sh9uld have 6een, lasting f9r sweeps.”

“HEY Y0U ASSH0LES ARE D01NG THE BE1NG CRYPT1C TH1NG AGA1N,” Mituna grumbled. “AND D0ES TH1S ALL LEAD BACK T0 WHY KURL0Z HAS BEEN AV01D1NG CR0NUS S0 L0NG?”

Kurloz pushed his face into his knees, covering his mouth and avoiding eye contact. Mituna didn’t hide the frustration in his sigh, though he had finally internalized that aggression wouldn’t get whatever secret that bothered his moirail out into the open. Crawling over, Mituna placed his chin on Kurloz shoulder from behind.

“C0ME 0N BR0 1F TH1S 1S G01NG WHERE 1 TH1NK 1TS G01NG Y0U ARE 100% 0VER FUCK1NG REACT1NG.”

“Mituna, while I appreciate that y9u kn9w 6etter than I d9 h9w t9 reassure y9ur 9wn m9irail, I feel I must speak up t9 remind y9u that n9thing g99d c9mes fr9m 6elittling the feelings and struggles 9f 9thers. And, if I may, with9ut making light 9f my 9wn advise 9r seeming as if I am jumping t9 unwarranted c9nclusi9ns, suggest t9 y9u, Kurl9z, that every single mem6er 9n 9ur team has had their fair share 9f in9pp8rtune crushes. And m9st have handled them in less than healthy ways.”

“ewven you, chief?” Cronus asked with a smirk.

Kankri didn’t return the humor. “Y9u kn9w perfectly well a69ut that, Cr9nus.”

“1 D0NT.”

Kankri’s stomach bottomed out as he realized this might turn into a fairly bad day for Mituna.

“Very well, I’ll g9 first with this, then,” he said under his breath before taking a deep breath and looking ahead at Mituna. “During the game, 6ef9re the accident s9 that cann9t 6e said t9 have any 6earing 9n it, Latula and I f9und 9urselves flirting 6ack and f9rth in a mann9r m9re c9nsistant with flushed feelings than anything else. Though it st9pped c9mpletely after the accident.”

“0H THAT. YEAH BABEZ T0LD ME AB0UT THAT R1GHT BEF0RE THE TH1NG HAPPENED. SHES A STRESS FL1RTER D0ESNT HAVE A M01RA1L AND 1 WAS BE1NG A MAJ0R ASS T0 HER CAUSE THATS MY STRESS DEFAULT. WE TALKED 1T 0UT N0T EVEN TW0 H0URS BEF0RE THE ACC1DENT. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART 0F THE REAS0N 1 FELT L1KE 1 HAD T0 G0 SEE KURL0Z. MY 0WN STUP1D1TY WAS THR0WN 1N MY FACE AND THE GU1LT G0T THE BEST 0F ME.”

“vwell, that explains vwhat your line of reasoning vwas there.”

“YEAH. BUT D0NT GET Y0UR LEGG1NGS 1N A BUNCH. CLEARLY 1M N0T MAD AB0UT 1T. 1TS N0T L1KE Y0U TW0 1MMED1TELY SHACKED UP BEH1ND MY BACK.”

“9f c9urse n9t! Th9ugh I d9 6elieve we are reaching the p9int where, as a gr9up, we are g91ng t9 have t9 st9p 6ringing that up.”

“MAYBE 0NCE 1T ST0PS BE1NG A TH1NG THAT ST1LL M1GHT TURN BACK 1NT0 S0METH1NG,” Mituna scoffed. He then leaned in close to Kurloz’ ear, his face buried into curls of hair. “BUT 1 GUESS TAK1NG 1NT0 ACC0UNT MY ATT1TUDE AT THE T1ME 1 GUESS 1 CAN SEE H0W Y0U C0ULD D0UBT 1 CARE AB0UT Y0U.”

Mituna wrapped his arms around Kurloz who seemed to have lost the will to continue to punish himself by resisting affection as he leaned into his moirail.

“that was never it, my pale brother. i did most sorely regret my inability to relieve the pain that i myself was selected from without to cause you. and how much more did it pain me, those feelings to seek comfort for myself, when i had caused the most pain to those i have held dear. as long as THAT one roamed the cosmos, as long as my mind could hear the call to fill in the gaps in the timeline, how could i risk more pain just for my own peace of mind?”

“Y0U ARE SER10USLY 0VER TH1NK1NG TH1S SH1T, Y0U D0 REAL1ZE THAT. L1KE WE HAVE TALKED M0RE THAN 0NCE AB0UT TH1S PALE/ASHEN FUCKTANGLE 0F FEEL1NGS Y0UVE HAD F0R FISH FACE S1NCE BEF0RE HE AND 1 WERE EVEN 0FF1C1AL. W1TH ALL Y0U WENT THR0UGH, TAK1NG CARE 0F ME WHEN 1 C0ULDNT HELP MYSELF, Y0U KN0W 1 W0ULD NEVER BE HURT BY Y0U GETT1NG EM0T10NAL SUPP0RT. Y0U AND TUL1P B0TH DR1VE ME CRAZY L1KE THAT. Y0U D0NT HAVE T0 D0 1T ALL Y0URSELF. N0 MATTER WHAT TH0SE STUP1D CULLING B00KS SA1D.”

“and i VWISH that thing had tried me,” Cronus said, not unaware of, and perhaps playing up, the juvenile lilt to his tone. “i couldwve had my second shot at erasing him.”

A snort escaped Kurloz. “BROTHER, YOU DO KNOW THIS WAS NOT DOC SCRATCH THAT HELD ME, NOR A PUPPET, OR EVEN LORD ENGLISH.”

“It wasn’t?” Kankri asked. “What d9 y9u mean?”

“those three fucked up amalgamations didn’t exist in our run. this thing vwas bigger, stronger, it had the energy of caliborn but much larger; more complete. he didnt need to pull tvwo trolls and an ai into a juju to wvreak hawvoc vwhile still making progress. this one vwas so much more.”

Kankri’s vision began to blur and grow dark around the edges as his lungs felt squeezed. “M9re? What d9 y9u mean, m9re? And it’s still 9ut there?!”

“vwoah, vwhoa, kankri breathe!” Cronus said, moving across to the other side of the mats as he saw every hint of color drain from the other’s face. “come on, its okay.”

“9kay? H9W can it be 9kay?”

“BROTHER, IT IS AS CRONUS SAYS, IT HAS LONG MOVED ON FROM OUR PART OF EXISTANCE AND TAKEN WITH IT HIS GRIP. MY CONTINUED AILMENT WAS ONLY A HOLD ON MY WILL TO SERVE MY BROTHER GAMZEE AS HE FELL AFTER I FAILED TO BE DONE IN TO THAT ONE’S BIDDING. YET STILL HE CAUSED ENOUGH DAMAGE TO FORCE OUR CLAWS INTO A RESET TO PRIME THE WAY FOR THE TWINS.”

Kankri’s brow remained furrowed as he struggled to regain his breath and process this information as Cronus held his hand and rubbed wide circles on his back.

“Are y9u implying that the 9ne wh9 attacked y9u was… Cali69n and Cali9pe’s parent?” Kankri asked when the tingling in his face began to subside.

Kurloz nodded. “YES, THAT IS WHAT THE ORIGIN OF THE GAME IS. LIFE IS FOUND IN SOME POCKET OF THE UNIVERSE AND CHERUBS CLAIM IT, STARTING A CYCLE TO CLOSE OFF A MULTIVERSE FOR THEIR OFFSPRING TO GROW UNOPPOSED IN. WITH EVERY DEVIATION GROWS THE CHANCE OF A SUCCESSFUL HEIR EMERGING AND STABLIZING THEIR PLACE IN EXISTANCE BEFORE HEADING OUT TO FIND THEIR MATE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE EFFECT OF US ASSISTING A BROKEN TWIN PAIR WHO NEVER FULLY MATURED ON THEIR OWN WILL HAVE FOR THIS UNIFIED UNIVERSE WE HAVE CREATED. BUT THEIR BIRTHING SIRE WILL HAVE NO USE FOR US ANYMORE AND THE TWINS HAVE BEEN PLACATED.”

“sorry for the scare there, chief,” Cronus said sheepishly. “i forgot not evweryone knowvs about that.”

Kankri gave him a hard look, but it dropped as quickly as it had sprung up. Instead he collapsed forward, burying his face in Cronus’ chest and releasing a long, loud howl of frustration.

Cronus tried not to laugh or grin, but only part way succeeded. “does that mean you forgiwve me?”

“I can’t take all this stress. We have murder9us neigh69rs, murder9us sky snakes, t99 many parts and side st9ries and I can’t d9 this al9ne. I give up. I need a m9irail 9r I’m g9ing t9 die.” Kankri didn’t so much as turn his face to the side as spoke.

“me?” Cronus asked, poking Kankri gently in the back.

Raising his face until his eyes stuck Cronus with glare, Kankri crinkled his nose and said, “Yes, s9meh9w.”

“FUCK1NG F1NALLY!” Mituna said, still draped over Kurloz. “N0W Y0U TW0 CAN CH1LL THE FUCK 0UT AND Y0U,” he pressed his finger to his disheveled clown’s cheek, “Y0URE G01NG T0 ST0P KEEP1NG SECRETS AND ACT1NG L1KE Y0URE THE SCUM 0F EX1STENCE.”

“I WILL TRY, MY DEAR BROTHER,” Kurloz relented. “THOUGH I MUST ADMIT I STILL DON’T FEEL AS IF I DESERVE IT.”

“THEN 1LL KEEP TELL1NG Y0U Y0U D0 DESERVE 1T UNT1L Y0U GET THE P1CTURE. S0 Y0UD BETTER TELL ME WHEN Y0URE FEEL1NG THAT WAY S0 1 CAN REM1ND Y0U. M01RA1LS 0RDERS.”

Kurloz chuckled, the weight of eons beginning to lift. “ALRIGHT, BEST FRIEND.”

“G00D. BECAUSE 1F 1 F1ND 0UT Y0URE 0VER HERE BE1NG A MARTYR AND FUEL1NG Y0UR EM0 C0MPLEX THEN 1M G01NG T0 SH0VE ANGRY H0RNETS D0WN Y0UR PANTS AND WE CAN REPEAT TH1S SH1T WH1LE PLUCK1NG ST1NGERS FR0M”

“MITUNA! SHUT UP! F9R THE L9VE 9F EVERYTHING ST9P!” Kankri shouted.

And shut up he did, among peals of laughter. After three more colorful illustrations, two strikes of the pillow, and one threat from Meenah that it was three in the afternoon and some of them were trying to sleep, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you so much for reading. I want to apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for two weeks without saying I was going to take a break. I hope you still enjoy these guys being their crazy selves.


	21. Hive and Schemes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evening is quiet and heavy until a plan falls into place to solve the dreaded situation.

It was midnight when Viorel knocked on the door to their new hive with the blueblood who owned the property. Kurloz, his face freshly painted only moments before, sauntered down the stairs to greet them. The transaction was quick, the price well in their savings range, and the deed, signed all around the edge with each troll’s signature in blood, was turned over.

“I AM PLEASED YOU ARE SITUATED IN OUR SANCTUARY TOWN,” Viorel said as he and the other rose to leave. “IF THERE IS ANY AID YOU NEED, FEAR NOT TO CALL. AND IF IT IS GOOD FURNITURE YOU NEED, I WOULD RECOMMEND OUR SISTER TREENA, FOR MASONRY, HENNRY IS GOOD, AND FOR MECHANICAL ODDS AND ENDS, WYREST IS THE BEST. THEY ARE ALL KIN AND SHOULD TREAT YOU WELL. NEWS TRAVELS FAST IN THE CITY.”

“RIGHT ON, BROTHER,” Kurloz said, offering his hand. “WE KNOW HOW TO TREAT OUR OWN. THANK YOU.”

Viorel shook his claws, eyes scanning over the wrappings covering half his arms. “DO NOT FORGET THE MEETINGS, YOUNGER BROTHER.”

Kurloz felt a flare of embarrassment rise to his face and strained to keep it hidden, despite the thick layers of concealment. “I WON’T.”

A few other tentatively kind words of thanks and goodbye ushered their contact out the door. When it was locked, the group sat down around the gathered rickety tables with a cluster of near rotted seats with the occasional nicer one pulled from someone’s inventory. Meenah, Damara, Porrim, and Latula had successfully shared the kitchen with one another and created a hearty brunch.

The previous night’s sullen air still hung like a pall over them, keeping the conversation short and dull as they helped themselves after muttering thanks to their cooks.

Unable to stand the strain, Cronus spoke up. “so, are vwe vwaiting until after breakfast to talk about this? or can vwe multitask vwithout biting our tongues?”

“well… 1t’s not go1ng to go away by 1gnor1ng 1t…” Rufioh commented.

“If efurryone can keep a level head then pawhaps it would work,” Meulin said.

The remainder of the group came around to agreeing, in a wheedling, indirect way, and the conversation started with a list of facts.

“We have learned that there are f9ur 9f th9se m9nstr9sities spread acr9ss Alternia. The 9nly time they are all in 9nce place is the winter perigees f9r what small repairs they can manage, as we can all agree they c9me fr9m s9me pre-war era 9f higher techn9l9gy.”

“We are also aware that they are quite literally 8reaking apart at the seams, which seems like it may make our jo8 easier,” Aranea added.

“(; = ^ =) < Making our job easier would require them to fall apart on their own before winter.” Horuss paid more attention to several blueprints in front of him than on anything else going on at the table. “Hoofever, I will admit I have a STRONG inclination that will not happen. It would be rather useful if we knew the type of psionic strands that held it together.”

“Y0U MEAN THE P1NK TENTACLES?” Mituna asked.

“(;; = ^ =;) < The same.”

“whale it wont matter if ya just make the whole thing fall apart” Meenah said. “pink strings aint doin shit on they own.”

“(; = ^ =) < That is true, and I believe we will have no issue obtaining the ingredients for a rust promoting mash that will collapse the hull within hours. It feels irresponsible to assume the enemy canter make a new ship if the lines survive, hoofever unlikely that seems.”

“THEY ARE SPONGE TYPE. NOT LINE FIBER.”

Horuss quirked his eyebrow and looked up at Damara.

“(; Ō w ō) < Not to sound disbelieving but, how can you tell?”

“THE SPARKS. THEY COME OUT LIKE POP. NOT LIKE LINE.”

The conversation stalled as everyone thought back to what they had seen.

“I guess they did sputter mo+re than arc.”

“4nd th3 l1ghts flutt3r3d mor3 th4n fl4sh3d, wh1ch do3s sound l1ke th3 m3ss13r spong3 typ3,” Latula agreed.

“(; o = o) < That does narrow it down by a substantial amount. Canterly, if they are still using sponge type and it has taken so much damage while retaining its use, it will have to be the low-grade plasticine variety.”

Mituna grimaced. “THAT MEANS THE EN1RE DECK SMELLS L1KE BURNT PLAST1C.”

“AND IT WILL SMELL THRICE AS BAD IF IT IS TO BE BURNT FROM THE INSIDE OUT.”

“That limits the am9unt 9f time we w9uld have t9 get away. And we will have t9 travel thr9ugh the capital well bef9re winter t9 plan an escape r9ute and decide h9w t9 keep them away fr9m us.”

“vwell, meenah and i have to head out to another feeding soon, vwe can pass through capital on the vway back for a look around. no one vwill say anything to twvo seadvwellers there.”

“Would that not 8e a poor decision, with Meenah 8eing the newly scaled heiress? As we have learned, the desire to cull other fuchsias can run instinctually deep,” Aranea pointed out as she scratched the plan down in her notebook.

“shore but we aint ever said wed hit the main roads” Meenah said, absently playing her fork between her fingers. “an this gill is smart enough to take off the scale for this kinda thing”

“I ALSO HAVE TO TOUR THE CAPITAL SOON FOR MY MEETING. ON THOSE FEW DAYS AROUND IT, THERE WOULD NOT BE A SECOND THOUGHT TO A BROTHER RUSHING ON ROOFTOPS AND LOOMING DOWN AT THE STREETS.” 

A bit of energy began to creep in, the atmosphere lightening as less involved members of the conversation began to gather dishes to create more room to work on the table. Sensing the conversation was nearly over, Meulin felt there was still one more thing to discuss.

“This is purrty great and all, and we all agr33d that the vessels will most likely be empty during the repairs, but I think we n33d to come to terms with the pawsibility that they might not take the pilots out. And they won’t survive in that case. This is an act of war, afur all.”

The mood fell again, everyone shifting uncomfortably as eyes darted around, gradually settling on Kankri. He sat in his seat, arms on the table, hands clenched in front of him as they vibrated from the strain of his grip.

“kankri…” Cronus spoke low as he moved his hand towards where he could see a drop of red begin to emerge.

The gesture was cut short by the sharp start of Kankri’s reply. “When we came 6ack t9 this place, 6ack to this time, we knew we w9uld 6e fighting a war. Perhaps we, 9r rather I as I cann9t speak f9r every9ne, th9ught we w9uld have a 6it m9re time t9 adjust t9 this place 6ef9re that 6ecame relevant. 6ut we are here and have a j9b t9 d9 and while I cann9t c9nd9ne the ret9ric 9f ‘ends justify the means’ 9r presuming t9 release s9me9ne fr9m real 9r assumed misery with9ut their c9nsent, I can understand that we have 9nly 9ne sh9t at this, and that it has t9 happen f9r the safety 9f the pe9ple at large.”

A collective sigh escaped the group. Most had come to the same conclusion on their own, but now that it was out in the open, they didn’t have to worry about being the first one to say it. Also, they didn’t need to worry about Kankri yelling at them. That was always a plus.

“Well no+w that that mess is o+ut o+f the way we can start thinking abo+ut ho+w we’re go+ing to+ run this place.”

“we aint have anyfin to worry about from the snooty side a town beaches dont know how ta make egg fluff cookies or even cake” Meenah scowled as she remembered the previous night’s hauls.

“(; = ^ =) < Due to the state of technology there is a struggle to maintain fresh produce for their products.”

“we found a tea suppl1er. d1d we say that?” Rufioh asked.

“YES.” Damara replied. “PORRIM SAID SOMETHING ABOUT CLOTHES.”

“We’ll need a new lo+o+k to+ fit in.”

“We’re still on fur our themed nights, right?” Meulin grinned mischievously.

Kurloz gave a strong laugh. “YOU JUST WANT AN EXCUSE TO DRESS UP.”

There seemed to be countless options, numerous questions to answer. Their prattle softly buried their concerns beneath a warm hope as time marched on.


	22. Jealous Spree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a trip out to buy amenities for their new business, no everyone is in a congratulatory mood over relationship advancements.

“This is g9ing t9 c9st exp9nentially m9re than if we just ch9se a single theme and stuck with it.” Kankri cast a baneful eye over the long list of furniture and decorations.

Cronus grinned and gave the grumpy troll a small nudge. “think of it this vway, its a testament to the unique possibilities opened by a large and inclusiwve group.”

“S33? He gets it.” Meulin skipped alongside the pair as they neared the section of shops that had been recommended. “Unlike some grumpy sourpuss.”

“Yes, yes, 9f c9urse 6ut m9re pressingly y9ur inexplica6le need t9 fl9unce ar9und like a wriggler is attracting the wr9ng kind 9f attenti9n t9 us and (9nce they n9tice y9u w9rk there) 9ur esta6lishment.”

Meulin laughed, her tone airy enough to prevent it sounding cruel. Without warning, she threw an arm around Kankri’s shoulder, causing him to stop in his tracks and tense deep into his core.

“Mewr just flurting with everymeown now aren’t mew?” Her voice dripped with a curious sarcasm as she spoke quiet in his ear. “Making up fur lost time now that mew and Cronus are official?”

“hey come on kitten, dont make me tell your horse on you,” Cronus said, curling her around the middle with one arm and pushing her away. “last thing vwe need is a fucking brawvl betvween you twvo in the streets.”

Kankri did his level best to get his breathing under control as ire boiled inside him. His ears rang with the increased blood flow to his face and a tirade of words choked in the back of his throat. He nearly missed the next question.

“So, is it true? Mituna wasn’t lying when he said mew two are official?”

“He said what?” Porrim, who had been maintaining a reasonable distance from the other three for dignity’s sake, was upon them in a few long strides as she picked up on the question.

The heat left Kankri in an instant, a chill replacing it, settling in his gut. Through millennia of practice he had learned how to keep such emotions off of his face so, when he pivoted towards that questioning and scolding tone with his arms folded across his chest, his affect was flat and unyielding.

“Yes, what Mituna said was true. Last night, while we helped Mituna and Kurl9z thr9ugh their relati9nship difficulties, Cr9nus and I decided that we w9uld als9, after many years 9f har69ring feelings f9r 9ne an9ther, finally pursue a relati9nship t9gether. And as I am (th9ugh it 9ccasi9nally seems as if y9u d9u6t this fact) 9f s9und mind and 69dy and nearly an adult (and the same age as y9u) I reas9n I am a6le t9 make such decisi9ns a69ut my life and quadrants with9ut derisi9n 9r assistance. I als9 feel as if this is a discussi9n m9re suited t9 the privacy 9f 9ur hive as the citizens 9f Alternia at large truly d9 n9t need t9 6e privy t9 9ur pers9nal lives.”

His face was unflinching even as Porrim glared at him, a faint glow rising on her skin, her ultimate tell.

“Of co+urse, the decisio+n is all yo+urs.” Her voice carried the opposite sentiment.

“G99d, I’m glad y9u see it that way. N9w we sh9uld c9ntinue 9n since we are already w9rking with a c9mpressed schedule.” Kankri turned and strode off without a second thought. Despite her scowl, Porrim followed after.

Cronus slumped where he stood, a resigned sigh escaping. “this is gonna be a long fucking night.”

“Yeah, mew might have more than a purrank or minor harassment to repurrt if this keeps up.”

Their first official stop of the day was at a wagon rental station. It seemed like a waste, but the group had agreed it would be best not to become known as the strangers who made entire tables disappear with a wave of the hand.

They approached the hoofbeast cart hiring station and set a fair price with a free olive before heading to Treena’s Furniture and Woodworking shop. 

“so Are you folks CerTAin you wAnT To use This sTore?” their driver asked Meulin, who sat beside him in front, as they approached the colorful enameled sign hanging above the doorway of their destination.

“Why? Do mew know something?”

“noT muCh…” He peered over his shoulder giving Cronus a timid look. “iT’s only ThAT The shops Around here CATer more towArds Clowns. while you seem To be in sTrong CompAny, i CAn’T help buT wonder if AnoTher plAce mighT be sAfer.”

Meulin’s lip ticked down in the faintest hint of a frown. “I though clowns purrty much ruled this city as a safe haven. Why would you be afuraid of them?”

A light of panic crossed the other’s eyes as his grip tightened on the reigns. “To be sure, we Are All grATeful for ThAT! noT A quesTion! only… Clowns Are A sTrAnge loT, don’T you Think? wiTh mosT highbloods iT’s eAsy To Tell whAT will seT Them off but wiTh clowns, iT’s more A quesTion. one dAy A clown will lAugh And complimenT you, The nexT you’re begging for your life And you’re ACTing just As you did wiTh The lAsT one.”

“MOG! Well, sure if mew treat them all like the same troll mew’re going to have purroblems. Clowns don’t have one brain. The moar mew get to know them the less the purrobability of pissing one off.”

“sure, i’ll keep ThAT in mind.”

His voice was uncertain, something Meulin found bothered her more than it had any right to. When they came to a stop and the others climbed out of the back of the cart, Meulin waved them into the store.

“I’m not done meowing yet and I don’t want to carry tables,” was her only reply when the others enquired.

Kankri in particular frowned, though he didn’t say anything else, as he turned to head inside; hoping against all hope that being out in public would curtail any fights simmering in the tension that hung in the air between Porrim and the relationship that the rest of the group seemed to find inevitable.

Treena gave the three who entered her business a sharp look over as she leaned her chin on the open palm of her muscular arm. “well^hey^now^^it^isnt^every^day^a^new^face^wanders^in^^especially^ones^unpainted^^ill^take^it^youre^who^my^brothers^did^portend^the^coming^of^^”

“Indeed.” Kankri kept his back straight under the stare. “And we are grateful f9r the rec9mendati9n seeing as h9w we are new in t9wn.”

Treena cracked a smile, displacing the painted features that looked like white bark and black leaves growing in a mask over her face.

“you^have^too^severe^a^face^for^such^gentle^platitudes^^”

The comment hung in the air for a moment, Kankri unsure if or how to answer. The carpenter wasn’t looking for one, luckily, and pushed herself upright from where she leaned on her front counter.

“sure^is^the^case^that^friends^get^the^ire^with^one^another^^but^let^s^see^it^that^no^one^gets^their^fight^on^in^here^^alright^^”

Her eyes rested on Porrim, boring into her for the declaration. Porrim glared back, her arms crossed and hip out in a defiant stance. She seemed to think better of whatever she had planned to say, only nodding her head once for a reply.

“right^on^^now^i^dont^suppose^you^came^prepared^with^what^all^you^need^^”

Kankri brought out their list and flipped to a page with a scale drawing of their lower floor and all the tables and chairs they had calculated they would need.

“We d9, as a matter 9f fact.”

Viorel hadn’t been singing empty praise when he complimented Treena’s craftsmanship. Each piece was solid, easily accommodating the largest of adults without so much as straining. As if that weren’t enough, they were intricately carved along the legs, backs, and edges. It was almost overwhelming. Even getting through the options for color; redsap trees, purple willow, golden desert wood; proved a challenge.

“vwe should get the redsap,” Cronus suggested after they had looked over their options and scaled several choices back by price. “the dark vwood vwill go vwith most of vwhat vwere planning.”

Porrim scoffed. “Clearly yo+u have no+ idea what yo+u’re talking abo+ut; o+r yo+u’re being a kiss up. Golden desert is the way to go.”

Cronus gave Porrim a puzzled look, flattening his fins as Kankri replied to the suggestion.

“G9lden desert? Did y9u f9rget the c9l9r schemes we drew up? It’s t99 light t9 g9 with anything. I w9uld have underst99d if y9u had said 6lack 69g w99d (despite the fact we already decided it is 9ut 9f 9ur price range) 6ut I have the feeling y9u are merely attempting t9 c9ntradict Cr9nus with such a 6latantly 9ut 9f character suggesti9n.”

“Yo+u think I have time to+ devo+te to+ argue with this scrawny manlet? Just say yo+u do+n’t agree with me instead o+f deciding yo+u kno+w what I’m thinking.”

Kankri sighed. “There are several things in that sentence that w9uld n9rmally warrant addressing, 6ut f9r the sake 9f 9ur ca66y, the 9wner 9f this esta6lishment, and 9ur tight schedule, I am merely g9ing t9 place my v9te with Cr9nus and wait until a m9re appr9priate time t9 deal with this. Unless, 9f c9urse y9u w9uld like t9 have Meulin give her input?”

“She do+esn’t seem to+ have o+ne since she decided her co+nversatio+n was mo+re impo+rtant than helping.”

“M9ving 9n then, w9uld y9u 6e s9 kind as t9 sh9w us what 9pti9ns are availa6le in the redsap?”

Each selection carried on the same way. Cronus or Kankri would offer up a suggestion and Porrim, who never seemed to want to go first with her choices, would counter offer with something wildly different and not at all in keeping with any of the design choices the team had decided upon. Tall backs or short, intricate swirl designs or sharp-edged geometrics, the shape of the tables; all were passively complained about as time and again the list and their previous selections outweighed her input.

Far longer than it should have taken later, their purchases were loaded into the cart and strapped down with ropes. Kankri climbed into the cart and picked his way to the front, slamming his hands down hard on the back of the driver’s bench.

“N9t t9 push y9u 9ut 9f y9ur sp9t, 9r 9therwise inc9nvenience y9u, 6ut w9uld y9u kindly let P9rrim sit up fr9nt 6ef9re I l9se what little sanity I have remaining?”

Meulin could read the pleading in his eyes and for a rare moment found that teasing ridicule wasn’t the first thing to spring to her mind.

“That bad?”

“Y9u have n9 idea.”

Meulin sprung up without another question and pranced around to where Porrim stood at the back of the cart, separated from Cronus by Treena who had found her talkative streak when Cronus brought up instruments.

“H33y girl, it’s your turn up furont.”

Porrim’s fang shone in the moonlight as she curled her lip in disgust. “He actually went o+ut o+f his way to+ ask yo+u to+ mo+ve?”

“It sounded like mew need a brake from boys. What has your fur in a bunch?”

“No+thing! Everything is perfect! Why wo+uld there be an issue with a wo+man being ganged up o+n by men and her o+ppinio+ns sho+t do+wn?”

“Yikes! Well, I guess mew’d better take the bench purrty quick. Don’t worry, Meowster Furrsa shouldn’t be a purroblem.”

“If he kno+ws ho+w to+ be respectful, it’d be a step up.”

Porrim crossed to the front of the wagon just as Kankri sullenly plopped down towards the rear, pressed up against a table with just enough room on the other side for one more person. The spot was soon filled by Cronus who asked before wrapping an arm around his moirail’s shoulder.

“So, mewr side of the ganging up story?” Meulin asked from across from them as the cart pulled away.

Kankri groaned, unceremoniously using the back of Cronus’ cool hand as an ice pack against his pounding head.

“She insisted that she wasn’t 6eing c9ntrarian while suggesting l9w-6ack, ge9metric, g9lden desert furniture.”

“MOG!!! Ew!!!”

Thankfully, when they reached the street with the décor and trinket shops lining the way, Porrim didn’t do more than growl as Kankri informed her that to save time, she was in timeout to cool her head and help protect their purchases for this portion of their spree.

They managed to pick up several styles of tea cups and plates to use for different events, their cutlery from the silver smith, plant pots and plants to fill them from the nursery, as well as curtains, table cloths, and a variety of smaller decorations in almost the same time their first trip had taken.

Despite being faster, the trip was just as filled with ire as the previous.

“And what I d9n’t understand is that I have NEVER given s9 much as a hint t9 P9rrim 9f having any r9mantic feelings t9wards her!” Kankri continued his griping as he decided between wall mounts and tripod picture displays. “Meulin, y9u tend t9 make a h966y 9ut 9f tracking such details. Can y9u name a time that I c9uld have led P9rrim t9 such a c9nclusi9n?”

“I always thought mew two had moar of the Dolorosa/Signless thing going on but mew know, both kittens.”

“9nce learning 9f them, I t99 th9ught she saw 9ur relati9nship in such a light. 6ut there’s hardly a chance at even a si6ling relati9nship as intr9duced 6y the humans with h9w I’m having t9 gr9nd her like a petulant wriggler.”

“kankri youre owver thinking this,” Cronus cut in. “por hasnt liked me for svweeps. sure, shes upset you didnt pick her, but shes only liwvid because its me.”

Kankri rounded on him, a stern and hurt look in his eyes. “Is that supp9sed t9 make me feel 6etter?”

“not better, but maybe a bit less responsible.” Cronus placed his hands on Kankri’s shoulders and squeezed. “im not hawving any fun vwith this either, but dont feel like anyone but her is responsible for howv shes handling this.”

“Seriously, efurrymeown has known about mew two for sweeps. I don’t know what she was expecting.”

Kankri rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The 9nly st9p after this is f9r fa6ric and sewing supplies. May6e the tw9 9f y9u sh9uld tackle that 9ne with9ut Cr9nus 9r me interfering.”

“Yeah, pawhaps we can save the rest of the drama fur later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I spent a day majorly overthinking everything for the cafe, so I hope you like those chapters that are coming up. ;)


	23. Crank up the Ovens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With new equipment and only the memory of recipes floating in her mind, Meenah and an unlikely group test what they can make in the nutrition block.

“okray lets sea what were fishin wit gilfronds” Meenah pushed the swinging doors to the kitchen open, wincing as the rusted metal screeched in protest. She turned back towards the cleanup crew who were clearing out the decaying furniture and searching for structural damage. “make sure horsea takes a look at that.”

Latula, Damara, and Aranea followed her, taking in every imperfection and old-fashioned, which was actually quite modern for when they were, piece of equipment. The kitchen was decently sized for their purposes, with plenty of room for multiple cooking projects to run at the same time. Along the rear wall ran a washing trough with a pump faucet, a marked improvement to having to walk out to a communal well pump in South Callie. Also along the rear wall was a door and a long window for airing the heat out during the summer months. Through the window could be spotted the stone structure that would soon be Horuss’ metal work shop, connected to the main hive by a rickety sun awning.

Along the left wall and taking up the center of the entire hive was an open hearth, the embers within glowing from keeping the hive warm in the chilly midfall. A cast iron grate and five cauldron hooks lined the inside. It needing a scraping but otherwise was fair for use. The right outside wall held three stone ovens with their chimneys extending up to where the ablution block sat upstairs. It was admirable how economic the design truly was.

The wall holding the swing doors was lined with drawers and most of the shelves for ingredients, with storage scattered around the entire block to maximize the space. The center of the room was taken up by a long island counter around which they would do their prep work.

“Does anyone of us even know how to use such antiquated equipment for 8aking?” Aranea asked as she cast a baleful eye over the tools at their disposal.

“a course i do” Meenah declared, pulling open the bottom door of the one oven that was still on from their late breakfast and stoking the coals before stealing a few to light the others. “stone ovens are coral an much beta than electric or gas”

Damara nodded as she livened up the hearth. “AND THIS IS BETTER THAN STOVE TOP.”

“for shore gil an beta for makin ourshellves a good name” Meenah ejected her baking ware; pans, bowls, measuring cups, and utensils; on the island with a clatter. “so lets get an idea a wot we gonna cook”

The four buckled down to preparing their workspace first, wiping down counters, stoves, and scaping grates with metal brushes. When they felt satisfied with the results, they called out ingredients left over from their market trips as they had sailed along the river.

“th4t’s 4 lot of 4ppl3s g1rl,” Latula commented as Meenah produced a full crate of the fruit.

“whale thats wots in season dont get ya suit in a bunch i got a slicer for ya”

Digging through the pile of tools on the table, Meenah pulled out a counter mounted spiral apple slicer. As she attached the heavy, metal item onto the ledge of the island, Aranea and Damara sorted through the rest of the staples: honey, sugar, large bricks of baking chocolate, spices, wheat flour, and rice. Pumpkins, a variety of nuts, red water berries, root vegetables, and dried red beans made up the seasonal portion of their pile. And topping off the mix were no fewer than twenty bricks of tea sealed in tins that Damara happily arranged on a thin shelf over the hearth.

“While I know you wish to make chocolate and vanilla cupcakes all-season staples, I 8elieve we can all agree that you know well enough how to make those,” Aranea commented as she pulled out a list of the items they would be focusing on for the remaining half of the fall season. “Are there any of these you feel you need practice with?”

“its been a minute since i last made those egg fluff sandwich cookies an theyll be a right pain in these stoves” Meenah commented as she leaned over Aranea’s shoulder to peer at the list. “an i need ta sort out a rigid list for the tarts an turnovers an cobblers”

“Not to 8e o8tuse 8ut aren’t those all the same thing 8ut shaped differently?”

Meenah stumbled back, her left hand clutching her chest like she had been struck as she thumped into the island. “gilfrond say you aint said that just now”

Damara gave a tittering laugh. “NEXT YOU SAY DANGO AND DAIFUKU ARE THE SAME.”

Eight pupils rolled as a scoff greeted the replies. “Oh yes, excuse me. How could I 8e so ignorant? Clearly the 8road differences in the way the same ten ingredients are com8ined create a spectrum of taste that I am wholly ignorant of.”

Latula absently took a large bite out of one of the apples from the bushel basket. “1’m not much of 4 cook 31ther but 3v3n 1 know th3 d1ff3r3nce b3tw33n 4 puff p4stry 4nd 4 t4rt crust.”

Aranea pushed her glasses up on her nose before crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, I thought I might 8e of service, seeing as how Porrim isn’t here to lend her customary hand. 8ut perhaps I was incorrect in my assumption of 8eing a8le to provide such aid.”

It was now Meenah’s turn to give a sarcastic chuckle. “gil we boat know yoar in her ta get outta helpin clownfish wit movin the bettin tables in”

Cerulean tinged the cheeks of the accused who began to bluster out a defense before the loud thump of a bag of flour hitting the island top cut her off.

“enough glubbin lets do this”

It was easy to see how the dread Betty Crocker came to be in the alpha human timeline. Baking seemed an innate talent of Meenah’s, so much so that she could utilize even the most clueless aides to the fullest. Latula was quick to find a rhythm with the apple slicer before turning her attention to cubing the small, thick baking pumpkins. Aranea had a keen eye for measuring out flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients as instructed. By the time those tasks were complete, Meenah was piping rounds of stiff beaten egg whites with sugar onto a baking pan.

Aranea dusted her hands off on a hand towel while waiting for more instructions. “What are you working on?”

Damara, who had kept to her own side of the kitchen, had four large pots on the stove and a thin wired grill clasped into place over the thick metal bars of the built-in grate.

“MOCHI. THE RICE FLOUR AND BEANS ARE COOKING. THEN SOME ARE BOILED. OTHERS ARE FRIED. OR TOASTED.”

Meenah clapped her hands after slowly closing the oven door on her batch of macaroons. “oh gil that just gave me an idea we can sell fried dough sheets at the festival”

“00H YEAH W1TH H0NEY AND APPLE BUTTER.” Mituna sauntered into the room and jumped into the conversation.

“th4t’s 4 gr34t 1d34. th3y’r3 both popul4r f4ll foods,” Latula commented, tossing a few tart red water berries into her mouth.

“MMHM.” Mituna wrapped his arms around his matesprit from behind. “WELL NEED APPLES FR0M UP AND D0WN THE WH0LE R1VER. AND S0 MUCH H0NEY. ALL IN A PERIGEE.”

“ya gotta point but wot are you doin in here anywave” Meenah questioned as she started to separate Aranea’s bowls into different groups.

“BES1DES WANT1NG T0 SEE 1F ANYTH1NG WAS P1NCHABLE YET AND BEL1EVE ME 1 AM T0TALLY TRAUMAT1ZED THAT THERE 1SNT 1 WAS WANT1NG T0 GET M0RE 0PP1N10NS T0 0UTWE1GH THE TEAT0TAL1NG ST1CK 1N THE MUD AND THE LESS V1S10NARY 1D10T WH0 TH1NK 1M WR0NG.”

“b4b3z b3 n1c3.”

Mituna responded to the scolding by nuzzling his girlfriend behind her ear until she began to blush and giggle.

“Ehem!” Aranea cleared her throat. “What would this proposal of yours 8e? I thought we had everything planned out fairly well.”

Mituna planted a kiss on Latula’s flustered cheek before pulling away to face the others. “YEAH WELL S1NCE 0UR PLAN HAS K1NDA CHANGED FR0M A TEA H0USE T0 A THEMED RESTERAUNT W1TH D1NNER AND CARD TABLES AND SH1T 1 TH0UGHT WE SH0ULD G0 THE WH0LE WAY AND SELL B00ZE T00.”

“Wouldn’t our status as minors prevent that?”

“PFFT. THEY D0NT HAVE L1QU0R LAWS 1TS THE FUCK1NG DARK AGES. WE SAW A S1X SWEEP 0LD STREET CLEANER BUY A P1NT T0 DR1NK W1TH H1S MEAT AND BAKED TUBERS WH1LE M0V1NG S0ME TABLES 0UT. N0 0NE CARES AB0UT P0TENTIAL PAN DAMAGE YET.”

“th4t’s t3rr1bl3!”

“WE SHOULD SERVE IT THEN. GOOD PRICE RETURN. ATTRACTS A BETTER DINNER CROWD.”

Meenah rolled her fins as she thought over the idea. “shore is something to consida gonna have to put it to a vote but im game”

“SWEET. THATS EN0UGH YESES T0 C0UNTER TH1S GR0UP 0F HATERS. 1M G0NNA G0 GL0AT.”

With a few spiral cut apple slices snagged from their bowl, Mituna left the kitchen as abruptly as he had entered.

“Do you really think it’s wise to include alcohol on our menu?” Aranea asked. “Don’t you think that will interfere with the atmosphere we’re going for?”

“nah booze is just an enhancer ta what ya set up” Meenah said. “anywave lets worry aboat that later”

While she worked on the flakey dough for the turnovers, Meenah instructed Aranea on how to create the shells for the tarts and coached Latula on cooking and mashing the pumpkin and cooking down the tart water berries with sugar and a few other spices. Like clockwork the desserts began to fall into place, the cookies were pulled out to cool, the apples were tossed in cinnamon, lemon juice, and a varying blend of spices depending on their ultimate destination and a few different recipes Meenah pulled together from her memory. As the apple test batches went into the first oven, the pumpkin was mashed and cooling while they formed their red berry treats.

“Damara, are you in need of assistance?” Aranea asked as she rested on a wobbly stool that they found nestled inside a door on the lower half of the island counter.

Damara had a mortar, or usu, in front of her and an akine mallet leaning against the wall as she mixed the rice flower and water mix into the consistency of a sticky sphere.

“NO. I AM GOOD. PSIONICS HELP WITH THIS.”

Once the shape was formed, the akine rose at her command and began to beat the mochi as she pushed and pulled the glob without having to get an inch within finger smashing distance. Some eastern trolls considered this a form of blasphemy, a cheat on the process, much like their opinion on using rice flour instead of whole rice. Damara didn’t hold the same belief, though she planned to use whole rice for their actual menu once she had time to properly soak it.

“Well, if you’re certain.”

It wasn’t long before the wafts of baked goods began to show their gravitational pull. The apple products were pulled from the ovens and the pumpkin and cranberry items went in; just in time for two new faces to make their way into the kitchen with stacks of repurposed fire wood.

“yoar takin that carp out to the forge right” Meenah asked, giving a suspect look to the unhealthy and varnished wood.

“NO, BUT WE THOUGHT THE TASTE OF POISON GLUE WOULD BE ADVENTAGEOUS TO OUR SALES,” Kurloz boomed, a bundle under each arm.

“ew no… but ser1ously, th1ngs are smell1ng great,” Rufioh commented as he adjusted his similar load.

“I have to agree,” Aranea said. “Though the only thing cool enough not to burn your mouth on would be the egg sandwich cookies. The apple treats just came out.”

“I SEE PUMPKIN AND APPLE AND WATER BERRIES, BUT THOSE ARE SUCH A ONE-SIDED FLAVORS. WHERE ARE THE LIGHTER NOTES LIKE SPECKLED SEED BERRIES AND PURPLE STAIN BERRIES?”

“where the glub am i supposed ta get strawberries an blueberries in the middle a fall”

Purple tinged what little skin visible on Kurloz’ face as the recollection of when and where they were came rushing back. Rufioh was able to soothe over the situation with a cover concept.

“well, 1 know we want to stay fresh and all… but dr1ed fru1ts have the1r advantages. you’ll have to watch for mold though…”

“1’d f3ll s4f3r w41t1ng unt1l w3 h4v3 th3 ch4nc3 to m4k3 our own, l1k3 wh4t w3 d3c1d3d w1th j4ms 4nd j3ll13s,” Latula commented as she scrapped off some of the pumpkin filling from a mixing bowl and licked it off her fingers.

“I had considered mentioning dried fruits 8ut they always struck me as more of a winter treat,” Aranea added. “8ut my main concern is still in using the same three wheat crusts to 8ake all our featured items with.”

“yall say that like we aint makin cookies and cakes and caramel candies an shit to go on with it” Meenah folded her arms over her flour covered shirt, a pout turning her lips.

“oh are you go1ng to use oats for some of the cook1es? 1 see you have goober nuts and pan nuts… those go good w1th oats. also a pretty good cobbler crumble… so there’s that…”

Their head chef pursed her lips, drumming her fingers along her upper arm. “whale i aint never used oats aside from the thin instant ones i aint shore how ta work wit em like they are”

“Well, we are doing a practice run for a reason,” Aranea commented. “It couldn’t hurt to make an attempt.”

“cept i didnt reel any up”

“1 have a few… they’re whole and 1’ve been gr1nd1ng them to make oatmeal wh1le out w1th the herds. you can have a few to try…”

Little Betty did not seem convinced as she looked over the thick grains in the small bag now sitting on the counter.

“HERE.” Damara barged into the conversation and slammed an open book down on the island. “IT SAYS HERE.”

Meenah looked at the eastern characters before looking back up at Damara.

“gil i dont know if ya forgot oar” She was cut off by a gentle swat to the head.

“I READ IT TO YOU. IT SAYS TOAST THEM. STEAM THEM. AND ROLL THEM THIN. THEN YOU LET THEM DRY.”

“okray thats doable”

“1t c4n’t hurt to try.”

“I suppose that means we’ll need to make another 8atch of apple co88ler?”

“nah if it works for cookies ill have it foar a crumble”

The two meddling figures were shooed out of the nutrition block, after a swift thanks, before the girls turned back to their projects. Damara cleared space on the hearth for Meenah to lay out a tray full of the oat kernels for toasting. While she minded the toasting, Meenah listed out the method for making goober butter to Aranea as Latula grated sweet orange roots for their final piece for the day, carrot cake. Damara meanwhile began to mash her drained beans into the sweet bean paste she would use as filling.

“so what kind are ya makin" Meenah asked as she stirred the oats.

“DANGO AND DAIFUKU AND FRIED MOCHI BALLS.”

“an the beans go inside”

“YES. IT IS GOOD. YOU WILL TRY IT.”

“okray didnt say i wasnt” Meenah commented as she slid her toasted grain into the steam pot that Damara held open for her.

“GOOD.”

Rolling the toasted and steamed oats was not as simple as Meenah had hoped. Aranea added a mechanical roller, though not an electric one, to the list of things that they needed to find in the shops or suggest as a project for Horuss to attempt. Nevertheless, after a solid half hour and four sore arms later, not to mention the constant goading from the hearth, Meenah and Latula had successfully managed to flatten the grains to their desired width. Aranea had spent the time mixing together the ingredients for the cake meaning the oatmeal goober butter cookies and carrot cake went into the oven at the same time.

“bluh now its time foar the cleanup” Meenah stated as she looked past the rows of desserts and to the mountain of bowls in the wash basin.

“h3y, l3t 1t ch1ll for 4 m1nut3 g1rl 4nd t4st3 som3 of th1s,” Latula suggested as she plucked a cranberry tart off the tray.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Latula, as it isn’t at all what I mean, 8ut you have certainly 8een eating a great deal more as of late,” Aranea commented as she selected an apple turnover. “Has something changed?”

Around her mouthful she gave a reply. “1t’s just food t4st3s SO much b3tt3r now. 1 forgot how good th1s stuff could b3.”

Meenah stopped with a macaroon half way to her lips. “you got yoar nose back an im just hearin now”

“oh, 1 gu3ss 1 h4v3n’t r34lly b33n t4lk1ng 4bout 1t. but y34h, 1t’s b33n pr3tty boss.”

“Hmm, I wonder if Terezi will have a similar experience? It would 8e rather unfortunate as she quickly regretted allowing me to heal her, or at least the version of her 8efore we adjusted the outcome did.”

“w3ll, sh3 won’t h4v3 to worry 4bout th4t for too long. pyrop3s h4v3 t3rr1bl3 3y3s1ght n4tur4lly.”

“YOU CANNOT SEE.” Damara asked as she set some of her own finished work onto the island.

“1 c4n mostly s33. 1t’s just blurry.”

“Are your glasses prescription?”

“y34h but b31ng h3r3 1 don’t th1nk th3y’ll work too much long3r. wh1ch 1s k1nd4 4 bumm3r s1nc3 1 don’t h4v3 my lusus h3r3 to w4lk m3 through thos3 st3ps.”

“so youve been goin blind this whole glubbin time an for most a that you didnt have yoar nose to use either”

“mmhm.”

“That explains so much.”

“(; = Д =) > Pardon me, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I have gone over most of the stable and this is the only area left for me to check for damage.”

“shore knock yoarshellf out boat first tell me which a these two apple fillings taste beta”

“(; O w O) > Oh, very well.”

It was all the strong troll had time to utter before he found multiple scents and flavors shoved in front of his face. Short comments of “too much clove,” “finely balanced,” and “needs more cinnamon” were the extent of his comments between bites. Though for the apple cobbler, he found himself wincing.

“(; > n <) > That is a great deal of sugar. My apologies, but I think I am at my limit for sweets.”

Meenah tried the cobbler herself, and could understand his point of view even if she didn’t agree.

“WAIT. JUST ONE MORE THING.” Damara insisted, offering one of her daifuku.

Horuss’s face was a touch green as he looked apprehensively at the item. Still, he felt it was only fair to try what was offered from his other teammate. He bit into the sticky, gooey pastry and his eyes lit up.

“(@ O v O @)> This is rather nice. I canter put my hoof on it, but the flavor is not as overbearing as some desserts. What is it made out of?”

“RED BEAN PASTE AND MOCHI. A STICKY SMASHED RICE.”

He regarded the item before taking another bite. “ > It is good. Thank you.”

Horuss felt his stomach sink as Meenah’s visage took on a pout.

“(;; O Д O ;) > Ah, yours are pleasant as well, just less to my personal tastes.”

“shore shore dont sweat it horsea ill find somefin you like one a these nights”

Not sweating it wasn’t truly possible, but he did his best. “(; o m o) > Of horse. In the meantime, are there any items that you have found that need attention?”

Aside from their oat roller and a few cracks in the mortar on the hearth and ovens, and the atrocious wooden counter space, there wasn’t as much wrong with the kitchen, or any of the rest of the structure, like they had initially feared. A few floor boards, door hinges, and a faulty tub pump were all that needed adjusting. It was a relief to everyone on the team.

Horuss went back to the main room to begin formulating his plans just as the cookies and cake timer rang. The rolled oats seemed to have been a successful venture, the cookies looking smooth and uniform. The cake was a different story.

While teasing back and forth with Damara over Horuss’s favor, Meenah leaned in and pulled out the carrot cake. The center sunk in, wet and raw, and the smell of half-baked batter made her nose twitch and her stomach turn.

“It would seem as if it needs a few more minutes.” Aranea’s voice sounded distant over the ringing in her aural clots.

Just as the other three were on the verge of realizing something was amiss, a shout drew their attention away.

“YES, 9KAY WE ALL GET IT! CR9NUS AND I ARE M9RAILS N9W! IS THERE ANY 9THER DECISI9N I HAVE MADE F9R MYSELF RECENTLY THAT Y9U DISAPPR9VE 9F?”

“oh my gosh, 1s porr1m 4ctu4lly go1ng th3r3?” Latula’s face creased and she stormed towards the commotion.

“This looks like it could get messy.”

“HAI. PORRIM IS STUBBORN.”

Meenah hadn’t noticed the others leaving, though she would have been glad they did as she felt her knees begin to shake. She slowly lowered herself to the floor, resting the incomplete cake on the door as she did so, and pulled her knees to her chest. Her mind raced, one dark, somber day crowding her thoughts as she rested her head in the fold of her arms.


	24. The Cake is a Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cronus heads into the kitchen while everyone else tries to calm down the mounting argument in the main room. There he finds Meenah on the floor, throwing him back to a day they had both tried to forget.

Latula burst into the main room and the mass of confused shouting. Aranea and Damara flanked her looking concerned and amused in turn.

At the foot of the staircase, Kurloz and Mituna stood blocking the way up.

“BROTHER, SHOULD YOU NOT HEAD UP TO SOOTHE HIM?” Kurloz asked.

“i vwill, but hes going to need a minute to himself first,” Cronus answered around the large crate in his arms marked fragile.

“WHATS G0T H1S LEGG1NGS 1N A BUNCH ANYH0W?” Mituna pointed up the way Kankri had left.

“It’s simple!!! Pawrim found out about them being pale and she’s throwing a pawsitively clawsome hissy fit! :33” Meulin’s eyes were wide, betraying a sense of frustration uncommon to her.

“(;; O v O;) > I was unaware it had been made official,” Horuss said. “I congratulate you both. Hoofever, I do not believe my presence shall help to soothe this patty over so I shall instead take to carrying in the cargo.”

“yeah… that sounds l1ke a plan to me too...” Rufioh was already next to the front door.

Horuss looked to Meulin. “(;; O ? O;) > Will you assist us in sorting out the bales?”

She hesitated.

“Oh, I’m so+rry, I’m just suppo+sed to+ igno+re my co+ncerns and keep my mo+uth shut. Ho+w brazen o+f me.”

“(^>m<’^) I’m coming with you.”

“NOW YOU L1ST3N H3R3 YOU 3MOT1ON4LLY DR41N1NG B1TCH!”

Everyone jumped at the unexpected burst as Latula stormed up towards the jade.

“WH00 BABE GET 1T!”

“BROTHER, DON’T MAKE THIS WORSE.” Kurloz abandoned his post and clasped his hand down on Latula’s shoulder. “SIS NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO GET YOUR HEAD IN IT.”

“hey, vweres meenah?”

“Why? Is Kankri no+t eno+ugh fo+r yo+u?”

“vwhat the fuck are you going on about nowv?”

Damara stepped into the fray and pointed at Cronus. “KITCHEN. GO.” She then turned on Porrim. “CALM YOUR RUMBLING SPHERES. YOU ARE BEING DUMB.”

Cronus heeded Damara’s instructions, moving away from the noise of an argument that unfairly centered on him. He pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen and set the heavy crate down next to the counter that was full of baked goods. He eyed the display hungrily before picking up an apple turnover and biting into it.

He hummed with approval before turning to take a better look at the kitchen.

“hey, meemee, are you in he—” He spotted her on the ground curled in on herself, her fins drooping, and claws threatening to pierce her skin.

Three long strides saw him at her side as his eyes flicked around the scene. They stopped on the undercooked cake, its middle caved in; a shiny, half-baked mess. His heart sank, bad memories flooding his pan. He shook it off and grabbed a towel off the top of the stone oven. He shoved the cake back inside and closed the door before opening the bottom drawer and feeding more wood into the center of the fire. Once satisfied, he closed the door and turned back towards the wilting heiress on the floor.

He sat down beside her, letting the distant squabbling wash over him.

_“its just like then.”_

Like a poisonous fog, memories of those final days in the game crept back. It extended from the sights, sounds, and smells around them, threatening to slip into every crevice of their minds and end them.

Cronus felt his throat grow tight and his chest shudder. He swallowed against the sensations and reached a slow hand out to brush against Meenah’s ankle. Her tension grew until he wormed his fingers under her pant leg and brushed them against her skin. The temperature difference was easy to tell, far too cold to be anyone but him, and she finally dropped her claws.

“i honestly thought this vwould hawve happened back in south callie. maybe i shouldnt hawve brought this up.”

Meenah uncurled enough to raise her head, her moist eyes looking dead ahead and listless. “dont go actin like its your fault shit was bound to happen eventunally ill get orca it just looked a crawlful lot like then ill be fin”

Cronus pursed his lips and tilted his head. “dont go guppying me.”

Meenah elbowed him in the chest. “wot think i aint got the fins to weather”

“shore, but youwve clearly been beta,” Cronus nudged her back.

She glared at him dangerously. “dont glubbin steal my puns”

Without flinching he replied. “then dont fucking seal your shit up.”

Meenah tugged on one of his facial fins. “oi wot did i just glub”

“i sea your point but i aint budging.”

Meenah began to twist the delicate webbing in her fingers, pushing her claws in to the point it felt like he might walk away from the encounter with a few more piercings. Cronus didn’t budge. He didn’t cry out. He didn’t break eye contact.

She dropped her hand and leaned back hard against the counter. Her face was creased in irritation, but it was better than the drippy eyed mess.

“its fuckin stupid okray i shouldnt have ta remember that day eva again an one loose runny cake makes me an now the whole schools bitchin an just i thought it would a made it beta”

She clonked her head against the island as that day kept spiraling past her mind’s eye.

_Cronus walked in through the door of Meenah’s old hive. The rest of the team squabbled about the scratch and their future in the other room and his barred teeth and flat-pressed fins exuded a type of danger hardly remembered on the streets of Beforus. _

_All romantic aspirations were deadened as he seethed and peered around the kitchen in a red haze. “meenah! are you hiding your ass in here instead of helping vwith this shit?” _

_There wasn’t a reply. He figured she must have skipped out on them to do her own thing, again. If their game and lives weren’t almost over, he’d say she’d need to be cuffed to someone less destructive. He rubbed the heat out of his oculars and took one final scan of the kitchen. This time, he spotted a cake._

_It wasn’t like the one she had made at the start of their journey. It was limp, sagging in the middle, and the dark inside was visible through a hasty application of icing. At first, he wrinkled his nose at it, then shrugged. It may not be her best work, but cake is cake._

_“DONT” _

_Cronus withdrew his hand like it had touched hot coals at the cry. It came from the ground on the other side of the counter. Meenah was slouched there, huddled and shaking, with tears riveting down her face. _

_He was by her side in an instant, an icy fear extinguishing his wrath. “hey vwhats wvrong? are you hurt?”_

_“cakes bad” she mumbled, ducking her head down into her knees again. _

_“common meenah, im not going to explode just because you made a lousy cake.” _

_“no i mean the cakes BAD”_

_His jaw dropped open. “vwhy? youwve nevwer done something like that so vwhy…”_

_“my denizen said we all gonna vanish if were livin when it happens if were krilled instead we can swim to the bubbles an school already asked the sky lusus ta make us a spot i thought i could make it a happy moment since its my fault shits gone spheres up but”_

_“getting enough in the cake for me and you vwould make the lovw bloods drop at one bite.” _

_Meenah sniffed and nodded. _

_Cronus waited to see if she would add anything before continuing. “its not all your fault. vwe all let our vworst sides out. tuna vwas being a fucking prick, kurloz decided to go full murder clowvn, pony boy lost his pan after the little spitfire killed him and his boyfriend. not to mention por and her decision to take all her shit out on those of us with a dominate y.” _

_“i started it though I egged that all on thought it would help drive us but i just glubbin tore us apart” Meenah said, scrubbing at the drying tears on her face. “an the worst part is i still cant let em go cant stand the though of bein nofin or of bein somefin all alone”_

_“meenah…”_

_“always knew i was a fucked up beach an shellfish i aint even know why but i just dont wanna be alone” _

_The tears began to flow again and Cronus caught her hands as her claws were bared towards her face. She fought against his grip wriggling and struggling in the pseudo hug until her will gave out and she crashed on his chest like they were still kids, like the half a sweep of ill-conceived romance and all the desperate flirting to win her back had never occurred. _

_“you knowv ill followv you into hellfire if that vwould keep you from facing that.”_

_“i thought that about the old codfish and then he sailed out shore seemed like spite when i had just left like he made me choose my freedom over him” _

_“he vwanted to follovw you. he had just broken his hip the vweek before and he vwas trying to get up. i sawv him, crying in the empresss arms begging her to let him stay until the end. they knewv vwhat vwas coming vwith the game somehowv, i knowv it. she said the others vwere vwaiting for him and that it vwas time for him to rest. he fell asleep in her arms and never vwoke up no matter vwhat the doctors tried owver the next tvwo nights.”_

_The tears had only increased. “wot others” _

_Cronus shrugged. “maybe the other ancestors? so maybe if they vwere able to sort their shit then vwe vwill too.” _

_The arguing had started to die down outside. They couldn’t tell if they had worn themselves out or just split apart. _

_“i think its about time.” _

_“yeah thanks crosie” _

_A flutter of warmth, this time in red and pink, swelled Cronus’s chest. “youre vwelcome, meemee. so, are you going to make a different try? ill drink something outright to push me owver the edge.” _

_Meenah shook her head and pushed to her feet, her resolve returning. “i made that rule for myshelf and i neva should a tried ta break it im gonna go make a bomb sea if you can get the school to the timepiece an ill be there”_

Back in the present, Cronus broke the silence. “you did vwhat you had to. sure, vwewve had our ups and dowvns but through it all not a one of us ewver called it quits. kur tried an you had him back in ten minutes.”

Meenah snorted a laugh.

“vwere meant for each other. vwell get through the fights since vwe dont have a cue ball headed asshole puppet to screw up our fucking liwves like on the other vwersion of alternia.”

Meenah gave a half smile and wiped at her face. “shore enough anywave wots got everyfin up and shoutin this time”

“oh, vwell kankri and i are finally moirails. porrim didnt take the announcement vwell.”

Meenah rubbed her face in aggravation. “for real beach is gonna tear us to glubbin shreds over the most obfishous quadrant in the group i thought she was more his culler but under the illusion shes a mother”

“thats howv kan sees it. or as an attempted auspice betwveen him and his life.”

Meenah gave a halfhearted laugh as she began to roll to her knees.

“whale guess we oughta sea what we can do to help”

Her fins still drooped and with the anger gone there was still an emptiness in her eyes.

“are you sure youre not upset?” Cronus asked.

“nah we already figured we aint cut out for it an i aint lookin ta lose what we got back” She paused. “of coarfish maybe i should pull back wit you bein tide down an all”

Cronus didn’t mention that wasn’t what he had been talking about as he followed Meenah up to their feet. “it may not seem like it but chief isnt the type to treat vwrigglerhood friendships as a break in exclusivwity.”

“yeah” Meenah ran her claws through her braids and grimaced when she noticed how dry her hair and scalp were. “i need ta brush an fix my glubbin hair so lets get this settled.”

She turned to leave but felt a tug on her wrist. Looking back, Cronus had his face towards the floor, a violet blush coloring his cheeks and fins.

“so i knowv no one else really put too much time in howv the humans livwed their liwves and all, but i vwatched a lot of their mowvies in my spare time, an not all of them vwere ewven from the fifties. something i picked up on vwas this idea of a family, like vwith the mom and dad and kids. and id be lying if i said that i didnt think about it from time to time, howv us growving up in the palace vwith the empress and the old salt kind of fits in vwith that? and maybe that makes us more like siblings than vwhat vwas normal for trolls. and as vwe learned from the humans, you cant date your family.”

Cronus’s voice trailed off to silence by the time he had managed to force out the final sentence. He had released Meenah’s hand and was now wringing his claws. He caught his breath in surprise as he felt himself wrapped in a hug that he quickly returned.

“i think i can manage with you being my brotter thanks crosie.”

She pulled back, the hesitation and worry replaced by a smile. “now you swim up to your morayeel wit a treat or five an im gonnna shore this shit up.”

Cronus smiled and nodded, sweeping pastries into a bag from his inventory as he heard the revived queen of chaos descend upon the uproar.

“OI this B--EACH aint ausfish material but im shore as SHIT ending this now”

Cronus chuckled before slipping out into the early morning sunrise to climb to the second floor through the rickety fire escape ladder.


	25. Vitriol and Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kankri doesn't want to fall back into the habit of ignoring problems and hoping they go away. He invites Porrim to talk about the issue that has sprung up between them.

“EASY NOW, BROTHER,” Kurloz said as he and Horuss lowered the final table.

They both sighed as the weight was picked up by the floor and their task was complete. Morning sunlight poured in from the open door until Aranea pushed it close as she re-entered the building.

“I gave the poor driver an extra 8onus for keeping him after sunup,” she said as she lowered her hood. “It is a good thing he had his own hood or he might have 8een gravely injured.”

The others in the group failed to respond, each dabbing at their own varying degrees of burns. There was a miserable pall in the air as their argument had been cut short and now hung overhead like a stuffed dragon on a noose.

Meenah scowled. She had gotten them to stop yelling and get their product inside, yet as everyone plopped sullenly into their new chairs to rest, it seemed there would still be more to unpack on the issue.

“I like the color and design choice,” Aranea continued, disliking the stark silence. “The pieces also seem to 8e of great quality. Provided we can maintain the peace, they should last for a few sweeps.”

“Well, most of us thought so,” Meulin said with a shrug. “Pawhaps we made the right call after all.”

“yeah… 1 l1ke 1t too… um, so are we going to set 1t up today? or maybe eat then wa1t unt1l the even1ng?”

“oi you aint sleepin til you try some a these pastries we spent all day bakin” Meenah said, hand on hip. Her fins went rigid and here eyes widened. “TH--E GLUBBIN CAK--E"

Meenah took off across the room towards the food prep block. She pushed through the squealing door that groaned shut behind her.

“SHE IS HAVING NO LUCK WITH THAT CAKE.” Damara commented.

The swinging door squeaked again.

“an dont go beachin an blubberin while im gone or ill kick alla ya basses”

A half laugh traveled through the less personally aggrieved portion of the group as she vanished once more behind the swinging door.

“r1ght, so…”

Before Rufioh could restate his question, the sound of footfalls on the stairs interrupted. The group turned to watch Kankri and Cronus descend and rejoin them now that the yelling had stopped.

“WHEN THE HELL D1D Y0U G0 UP THERE?” Mituna asked Cronus.

“i vwent up the fire escape,” he explained. “didnt vwant to exasperate things.”

Kankri had his arms crossed over his chest. There was a noticeable puffiness to his eyes in spite of the steps taken to soothe the area in the wake of his emotions.

The others fished for something, anything, to say; but he made his way towards a stern-faced Porrim in pained silence.

“P9rrim, will y9u please f9ll9w me upstairs s9 that we may make an attempt t9 put this issue t9 c99n with9ut the added pressure 9f an audience? I w9uld greatly prefer that t9 all9wing things t9 spiral even further 9ut 9f c9ntr9l.”

Porrim’s eyes widened even as she felt the remainder of the ocular orbs in the room firmly focused on her.

“Very well,” she replied pushing herself to her feet.

Like a somber parade, the pair made their way towards and up the steps in silence as the others looked on.

On the second floor, Kankri walked up to a door that stood open across the main sitting area. It was the smallest room on the upper level and one that no one had laid their belongings in the morning previously. Porrim shut the door behind her as she followed.

“As I have requested the c9nverstati9n, it is 9nly fair that I start it,” Kankri began when they were sealed away from the rest of the world. “And the 9nly way I can pr9perly d9 s9 is 6y saying that I am hurt, P9rrim. N9! Let me finish.”

Porrim’s gradually opening mouth snapped shut into a scowl as she crossed her own arms and stuck out her hip.

“I am hurt as well as disapp9inted. I had th9ught that thr9ugh 9r time helping t9 set up this reset, and especially here 9n Alternia, we had 6een making great strides in 9ur relati9nship. Theref9re it was a 6itter sh9ck t9night having t9 experience y9u deal with my relati9nship devel9pment with an a6s9lute fit. I must say that I am at a l9ss f9r w9rds.”

Kankri’s shoulders slumped as he finished talking, slumping and losing some of his vibrato as he waited on a reply. Porrim unfolded her arms and put her hands on her hips, her head tilted high as she flashed her fangs.

“And what abo+ut me? Ho+w do+ yo+u think I feel abo+ut this who+le situatio+n?”

She looked at him expectantly.

“Which 9ne? The n9t 6acking y9u up during y9ur tantrum 9r making my 9wn quadrant decisi9ns with9ut 96taining y9ur permissi9n first?”

Porrim flashed. “Yo+u accuse me o+f theatrics! Excuse me if I tho+ught we were do+ing better myself. Especially since I wo+uld think that might deserve at least a warning that yo+u were even back to+ co+nsidering quadmates. Last I checked yo+u were still living yo+ur little celibacy vo+w. Ho+w is that go+ing, by the way?”

Kankri’s face turned hot red. “Y9u kn9w very well that I d9n’t have much ch9ice in the matter, whatever my pers9nal desires may 6e, as I will quite literally 6e vi9lently culled if I d9n’t fill my quadrants. S9 the fact that they w9uld gradually 6e filled like every9ne else’s seems t9 me t9 6e rather self-explanit9ry. S9 what difference d9es ann9uncing it make aside fr9m drawing attenti9n t9 myself? Have I n9t, 9n multiple 9cassi9ns 69th thr9ugh 9ur wrigglerh99d and time in the 6u66les, made it quite clear t9 y9u that I har69r n9 r9mantic feelings f9r y9u 9f any hue? 6ecause I cann9t f9r a m9ment think 9f anything that w9uld display feelings m9re than a 9nce cl9se friendship. The fact that every 9ther tr9ll 9n 9ur team has treated the ann9uncement as s9mething expected and even inevita6le 9nly serves t9 increase my puzzlement.”

Porrim counted faults on her fingers. “So+ yo+ur type is stuck up rich bo+ys who+ harass everything that mo+ves with unwanted flirting, shit talk everyo+ne in the mo+st sexist and classist ways imaginable, and spend unkno+wn sweeps pretending to+ be an alien fo+r attentio+n?”

“D9 y9u remem6er that the p9int 9f a m9irail is t9 em9ti9nally supp9rt and assist the quadmate in achieving a 6etterment 9f the self? I supp9se Cr9nus sh9uld have run f9r the hills e9ns ag9 due t9 my 9wn flaws 9f em9ti9nal unavaila6ility, vitri9l, and the desperate way I enacted a vice-like grip 9n the entire gr9up in an attempt t9 prevent further falling apart? Th9ugh, that makes me w9nder what y9u think 9f y9ur 9wn pers9nal struggles.”

“And what might tho+se be?”

“H9ws ab9ut the way y9u spent y9ur afterlife thr9wing every9ne int9 disarray 6y cycling thr9ugh the gr9up’s quadrants like 9ne might change channels 9n the televisi9n? Y9ur 9verall negative attitude and y9ur unfair treatment 9f an entire su6gr9up 9ver a single incident and imagined slights als9 spring to mind.”

Kankri’s voice began to grow faster as he spoke. Despite attempts to defend herself, Porrim found herself unable to get a word in edgewise.

“Have y9u ever st9pped f9r even a m9ment t9 c9nsider h9w em9ti9nally damaging it is to hear s9me9ne that y9u cared f9r and held in cl9se regard suddenly 6elittle and disparage y9u 9ver a matter 9f 6i9l9gy 9utside 9f y9ur c9ntr9l? And all due t9 the (admita6ly tragic and inexcusea6le) acti9ns 9f tw9 c9mpletely different tr9lls t9 a third party? It’s n9t as if they are even the reas9n y9ur m9iraligance with Damara ended; y9u have 9nly y9ur 9wn decisi9n t9 flip red and 6ec9me a ‘re69und’ f9r her when she m9st needed an em9ti9nal r9ck t9 regr9up 9n. H9w c9uld y9u have expected such an event 6uilt 9n pain, desperati9n, and a c9mplete lack 9f red chemistry t9 last? And all this is 6esides y9ur insistence 9f dredging up (quite literally) dead c9mplaints a69ut supp9sed female 9ppressi9n in a matriarchal s9ciety where females are c9nsidered m9re p9werful 9verall than males. The 9nly thing appr9ximating y9ur aggrieved c9nditi9ns is specific t9 the jades (who are 6i9l9gically m9stly female) as they had the 9ne predestined career aside fr9m the Empress and her heiresses. And this c9uld hardly 6e c9nsidered a s9cial c9ntrivance 9r a d9wn side due t9 the utm9st reverence ass9ciated with the c9ntinuati9n 9f 9ur entire species. Add t9 that the fact that y9u never expressed such distastes until after 6ef9rus n9 l9nger existed t9 enf9rce such a r9le and I’d say y9u’re the 9ne playing an act far m9re than Cr9nus’s at times misguided attempts at self actualizati9n.”

Tears trickled down his face as he fought to steady his breathing as emotion shook within him.

“And that’s why he’s my m9irail. At the very least he is 9pen t9 expl9ring new p9ssi6ilites f9r himself and changing f9r the 6etter 9r at the very least adapting his 6ehavi9urs t9 circumvent sc9ldings while Y9U can’t even TRUST ME T9 6E CAPA6LE 9F MAKING MY 9WN DECISI9NS! H9w c9uld I ever h9pe t9 gr9w with y9u when y9u’ve rem9ved y9urself s9 far away fr9m me?”

Kankri buried his pinched face in his sleeve as his voice cracked. Porrim’s mouth hung open, words utterly failing her as she looked on.

“Kanny…” She reached out to touch his arm in a gesture of comfort.

Kankri pulled away as if he had been burned. “N9!”

It was sharp, hard and booked no argument.

“But—”

“N9 6uts. In light 9f t9night, it is clear that I cann9t all9w anything else that might lead y9u 9n. I want to 6e friends with y9u, I was enj9ying 9ur pr9gress, 6ut we are clearly n9t 9n the same page in this relati9nship. We d9n’t need anym9re disl9yalty 9r misinf9rmation. Theref9re I think it w9uld 6e 6est t9 take s9me space until we can agree.”

Porrim’s frown only grew, her hand clenched as he remained out of her reach. “So+ that’s it then? Yo+u’re thro+wing me aside o+ver a denial ridden manlet nerd with a superio+rity co+mlex?”

Kankri sighed, his face falling towards the floor. “I’m d9ne arguing, P9rrim. If that’s all y9u can find t9 say, I’ll excuse my self and give y9u time t9 c9nsider what I’ve presented. In the meantime, I w9uld appreciate it if y9u w9uld please st9p 6ashing my m9irail and causing strife am9ng the gr9up.”

Kankri side stepped around Porrim to remain out of her reach and opened the door.

“Y9u kn9w, the mid 1950s decade into the 1960s in America is 9ne that is 9ften remem6ered f9r a str9ng civil rights m9vement. During that era humans 9f the c9untry f9ught f9r equality am9ng genders and different skin c9l9rs. Perhaps y9u c9uld take a minute t9 think a69ut that t99.”


End file.
